INSIGHTS

2023.10.30

MEP Engineering Speak. Environment and Equipment Idea Note Vol. 07

Initiatives based on the "facilities" that support the city

Otemachi Center & Otemachi One Sub-Plant / DHC plant relocation due to redevelopment

MEP Engineering talks. Environment and equipment idea notebook TOP

Redevelopment can be carried out without shutting down existing district heating and cooling

The energy supply area for "Otemachi Center" and "Otemachi One Sub-Plant," which are included in the "Otemachi One" redevelopment project, shows that the network is spread across the entire Otemachi area.

Realizing a highly efficient plant by bundling the "packaging power" of the entire company

The redevelopment of "Otemachi One" started as described above, but at the same time, the functionality of the existing DHC plant, "Former Otemachi Center," which had been in use for approximately 45 years, was updated.

■ The former Otemachi Center was in operation for approximately 45 years from 1974 to 2020.

Two photographs: "Marunouchi 100 Years of History: Mitsubishi Estate Company History (Part 2)" 1993, p. 220

As this was a high-density urban area, the realization of DHC was promoted as a regional initiative, as it was expected to have a significant effect on preventing air pollution. Our company (then Mitsubishi Estate) was responsible for architectural design and construction supervision of the plant and tunnel piping work.

"Designing a DHC plant" may seem like just one small part of a major redevelopment project, but it plays an important role, as without the construction plan in place, the development itself would not be able to go ahead. Therefore, with the cooperation of our Urban Environmental Planning, Engineering and Structural Engineering departments, we presented Mitsubishi Jisho Design 's proposals to the project stakeholders, showing them how it could be done, including construction procedures, schedules, structure, compliance with laws and regulations, and industrial waste disposal.
While other companies may have separate companies for civil engineering and Construction Supervision, our strength is that all of these parties are in-house. By utilizing this "packaging power," we were able to build relationships of trust with all the companies involved and move the project forward.

"Otemachi Center". It consists of eight boilers and six chillers.

Starting with the installation of temporary cooling towers, then switching to local piping to isolate the plant facilities, and demolishing the existing building, the Otemachi Center and Otemachi One Sub-Plant, equipped with the latest equipment, were built on the site in conjunction with the construction of the redevelopment building over a period of nearly 10 years, including the basic concept.

The switchover to the new plant was completed without interrupting the supply of a single system, and continues to this day. We are still involved with the chillers installed here, aiming to improve their efficiency at the operational stage, and they have recorded extremely high scores in terms of heat production and efficiency compared to other plants.

Designer's Voice

Designer

Urban Energy Planning Department / Joined in 2002

Morokazu Nishi

Morokazu Nishi

We spoke to the author of this article, Mr. Nishi Shikazu, about his thoughts on the design of the DHC plant, his outlook for the future, and the Urban Energy Planning Department at Mitsubishi Jisho Design, which is responsible for this entire project.

"Long range" plant construction

── Area energy management design is actually one of our specialties. We have a long history and a proven track record, including in Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Minato Mirai 21 District. What is the current approach to updating the functionality of DHC, which is infrastructure that supports cities?

The DHC system is responsible for supplying cold water, steam, and hot water, but dating back to its early days (the early 1970s), it was originally a "steam piping network" that mainly supplied heat for heating. Looking at old drawings of the "Otemachi Building" (completed in 1958), designed by our company and located close to "Otemachi One," we can see that at the time, heating was done by burning coal, but this was prohibited by the Air Pollution Control Act, an initiative to combat pollution, and so a change began in which DHC systems using city gas were constructed.

Today, as in the past, environmental considerations are an important topic in our work with DHC, but the changes are accelerating. When Otemachi One was designed (in the 2010s), the requirement was "energy conservation," but in just a few years, the requirement has shifted to "carbon-free/carbon neutral." DHC plants are not particularly "flexible," as chillers and boilers are basically made to order for each plant construction project, and once installed, they can be used for up to 30 years. It is difficult to determine the pros and cons of energy at this very moment and make a choice. We use electricity, but we also use gas effectively... We must respond to modern social demands, while also considering the mid- to long-term perspective of "what will the situation be like in 2050" when designing.

"Otemachi One Sub-plant." It consists of a heat pump and six chillers.

Approaching cities and the future from the perspective of facilities

-- As the name DHC stands for "district heating and cooling," handling energy on a broader scale than just a single building level is something that connects to today's smart city thinking and the cross-disciplinary efforts that take place there, isn't it?

The Urban Energy Planning Department, to which I belong, is involved in these tasks. Along with the Urban Management Planning Department, which is involved in formulating urban plans, we are also involved in planning from even upstream of development. Although our function is positioned as "machinery," we are quite active in a wide range of areas, so I think this department is also a place where people who want to be involved in urban planning can use MEP Engineering as a kind of tool to commit to cities from an energy perspective.

We are now in an era where we will be asked how we can utilize the know-how we have cultivated over the years. For example, DHC can be put to great use in high-density redevelopment projects such as compact cities. We can get further upstream in redevelopment planning, devise strategies such as "Let's promote area-wide energy use and provide incentives," set directions, create guidelines, and lobby government agencies... This is an area where urban planners and real estate developers would normally excel, but from my experience, I feel that MEP Engineering can actually implement these kinds of mechanisms as well.

We will broaden our scope to include society as a whole, such as the realization of a carbon-free society and a hydrogen society in the future. We tackle these modern challenges every day from the perspective of "facilities."

Beneath the ground in the Otemachi, Marunouchi and Yurakucho areas is a network of underground tunnels and supply pipes called the "SUPER TUBE."

Three photos provided by Marunouchi Heat Supply Co., Ltd.

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MEP Engineering talk. Environment and equipment idea notebook

Update : 2023.10.30

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