THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
September 18, 2023 at 08:00 JST
A WaveRunner personal watercraft from Yamaha Motor Co. (Provided by Yamaha Motor Co.)
Yamaha Motor Co. announced a world first in its decision to adopt plant-derived cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced resin for use in parts in its 2024 line of speedboats.
Yamaha said it will consider incorporating the eco-friendly material into its mainstay product, motorcycles, in the future, adding that the initiative is aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions as well as the company's environmental footprint.
By using reinforced resin, Yamaha is aiming to reduce the weight of its WaveRunner personal watercraft as well as cut down on the use of conventional plastic.
The cellulose nanofiber developed by Nippon Paper Industries Co. is manufactured by mashing wood-extracted pulp. Mixing it with a small amount of plastic and rubber results in high-strength resin.
It is the first time for components made of this type of resin to be mass-produced for personal watercraft or other vehicles, Yamaha said in its Aug. 25 announcement.
The reinforced resin, which is used for engine covers, is 25 percent lighter than conventional plastic. Another advantage is that it can be recycled and reused repeatedly.
The wood-derived material is expected to help slash CO2 emissions.
Yamaha and Nippon Paper Industries embarked on the development of reinforced resin in 2018, with an eye toward commercial application of the substance.
The company said it decided that personal watercraft such as speedboats would be the first to use components made of CNF resin as they carry a sufficiently high price tag to absorb the cost of the material.
Watercraft utilizing the resin arrived on the North American market in August. They sell for around 2 million yen ($13,700), about the same level as earlier models.
Yamaha is looking to release them in Japan as well.
Yamaha said it expects the price of the substance to start dropping once the resin is in widespread commercial use.
“We will be moving to take advantage of the material for high-end motorcycle bodies and other parts, too,” said a company representative.
(This article was written by Kaname Ohira and Ken Miyazaki.)
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