SPACECOOL INC. (hereinafter, “SPACECOOL”) and Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) will exhibit the radiative sky cooling material SPACECOOL^® (hereinafter, “Material”) as a member of the Japan Pavilion at The Lagos International Trade Fair 2022, the biggest trade fair across all sectors held in Lagos, Nigeria, from November 4 to 13, 2022 (10 days). Together, the two companies will work to develop new markets in Africa.

Nigeria is the greatest economic power in Africa with a population of 210 million, and it is expected to maintain a high population growth rate in the future, exceeding 400 million in 2040. While it is attracting attention as the largest market in Africa, it is also facing many social problems in areas such as transportation, traffic, agriculture, medical care, education, and the environment. Many companies are aiming to solve these problems by utilizing innovative ideas and technologies, and SPACECOOL and Marubeni will also work to help solve these problems by utilizing this Material.

In equatorial Africa, the hot environment is particularly severe, and the use of this Material in various applications will contribute to the improvement of this environment. In particular, SPACECOOL and Marubeni are proposing to use the Material as a heat-environment countermeasure for high-voltage power receiving facilities, power conditioners and storage batteries for solar power plants, and membrane structures for temporary buildings, tents, and other structures. In addition, cold chain logistics for food products have not been sufficiently established, and food loss and food poisoning due to deterioration and spoilage during transportation are significant problems. By using this Material in transportation equipment, it should be possible to suppress the rise in temperature caused by solar radiation without using energy, which will contribute to solving food distribution issues in Africa.

By exhibiting the Material at the Lagos International Trade Fair 2022, SPACECOOL and Marubeni will build a network with manufacturers, user companies, and government agencies that could be potential business partners (including local companies and foreign-affiliated companies) with the aim of developing business in Africa.

This Material is a material*¹ that makes it possible to lower the temperature below the outside temperature with zero energy by releasing heat into space even under direct sunlight.

*¹ Achieved by using Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.’s proprietary optical control technology to design a material that suppresses heat input from sunlight and increases heat dissipation through thermal radiation (a phenomenon in which heat from a heated object is carried as electromagnetic waves (light)) (Figure1).

Two types of products utilizing this material (a film and a membrane) have already been developed and are being manufactured and sold by SPACECOOL INC. (Figure 2-1, 2-2)

The Lagos International Trade Fair is the largest International Trade Fair in Nigeria. More than 70,000 people are expected to participate not only from Nigeria but also from all over the world.

Date: Friday, November 4 to Sunday, November 13, 2022 (10 days) from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Venue: Tafawa Balewa Square

Website: https://lagosinternationaltradefair.com/