Key Facts
• Hanshin Electric Railway collaborates with Kobe Rapid Transit Railway and Asahi Soft Drinks.
• CO2-absorbing vending machines installed at nine stations on Hanshin and Kobe Rapid Transit lines.
• Machines absorb atmospheric CO2, reused in asphalt and concrete production.
• Target stations include Osaka Umeda, Amagasaki, and Kobe Sannomiya.
• Six machines already installed at Zero Carbon Baseball Park (opened March 2025).
• Machines absorb up to 20% of CO2 emissions from their power usage.
• CO2 absorption equivalent to annual intake of 20 cedar trees per machine.
• Nationwide installation reached 1,500 machines by April 2025.
• Asahi Soft Drinks holds patent for the technology (Patent No. 7282338).
Summary
Hanshin Electric Railway, in partnership with Kobe Rapid Transit Railway and Asahi Soft Drinks, has begun installing CO2-absorbing vending machines at nine stations on the Hanshin and Kobe Rapid Transit lines. These machines capture atmospheric CO2, which is then repurposed for industrial materials like asphalt and concrete. Key stations include Osaka Umeda and Kobe Sannomiya, with six additional machines already operational at the Zero Carbon Baseball Park, which opened in March 2025. Each machine can absorb up to 20% of CO2 emissions from its power usage, equivalent to the annual absorption of 20 cedar trees. By April 2025, approximately 1,500 machines were installed nationwide, supported by Asahi Soft Drinks’ patented technology.
