Tokyo -- (JCN Newswire) --

Honda Energy do Brasil Ltda. (Honda Energy), Honda's wind power generation business subsidiary in Brazil, today began operation of its wind power generation facility and held a ceremony to commemorate the start of its operation. The ceremony was attended by government officials and representatives of local communities.

Striving to minimize the environmental footprint of its business activities, Honda became the first automaker in Brazil(1) to start a wind power generation business. Honda Energy built its wind farm, an investment of approximately 100 million Brazilian reais (approximately 4.6 billion yen(2)), in the city of Xangri-la in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil (approximately 1,000 km south of Honda's current auto production plant in Sumare, Sao Paulo). Honda Energy will be proactive in promoting the use of renewable energy in Brazil.

Honda Energy's wind farm will be equipped with nine wind power turbine units, and is expected to generate approximately 95,000 MWh of electricity per year, equivalent to Honda's current annual electricity needed for automobile production in Brazil (approximately 140,000 units). By generating renewable energy to cover the electricity needed for the plant, Honda is expecting to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 2,200 t annually.

Comment by Carlos Eigi, president of Honda Energy do Brasil Ltda.:
"Since Honda began its business activities in Brazil in 1976, Honda has been cooperating with the local community and striving to minimize the environmental footprint of our production activities. I am very much pleased that Honda made another significant step toward the utilization of renewable energy by starting the operation of our wind farm today. Under our global environmental slogan - 'Blue Skies for Our Children' - Honda will continue to be proactive in pursuing environmental conservation activities in Brazil."

Honda has set a target to reduce CO2 emissions from its global products by 30 percent by the end of 2020 compared to year 2000 levels. Striving to attain this goal, Honda has been strengthening its initiatives on a global basis to reduce CO2 emissions from all business activities, including production and the supply chain.

Notes:

(1) Honda internal research
(2) Calculated based on the exchange rate of 1 Brazilian real = 46 yen

About Honda

<BR /><BR />Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267/NYSE:HMC) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com.

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