Kawasaki Starts Verification Tests for Underground Disaster and Defense Emergency Shelter Ventilation Equipment

Tokyo, June 20, 2024 — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced that it is currently developing the first ventilation equipment in Japan for use in underground civil defense shelters to maintain a purified air environment inside the shelter. The company has already completed its initial prototype with the goal of market release in 2026, and verification tests started in May 2024 are underway to verify basic functions and performance using the prototype and identify aspects requiring improvement.

Underground shelters for disaster relief, defense and other purposes, as well as their ventilation systems, must protect and isolate occupants from various types of impact loads and air contaminants. Kawasaki’s new SEPERNA^®*¹ ventilation system achieves isolation from external atmospheric aerosols using Kawasaki-developed gas-permeable membrane elements, while a special chemical filter removes toxic gases from the air.

The Association for Resilience Japan has launched a working group*² that deliberates on the performance and specifications required for underground emergency shelters in Japan, a country that faces frequent natural disasters. Kawasaki has been selected to serve as its member and participates in the drafting of proposals for ideal shelter performance and specifications in Japan.

Moving forward, Kawasaki will continue to harness knowledge about closed-space environmental control technologies fostered in over many years submarine construction to develop underground shelter ventilation equipment, while also continuing to pursue enriching people’s lives by offering greater safety and peace of mind through working group activities.