cellenpia®PLAS adopted for an exterior component of a Yamaha personal watercraft

Nippon Paper Industries' cellulose nanofiber-reinforced resin “cellenpia PLAS” has been adopted as an exterior component for the 2027 model of Yamaha Motor's “Wave Blaster” personal watercraft, which Yamaha Motor has begun selling in North America. This is the world's first adoption of the material as an exterior component of a transportation equipment part in a mass-produced product.

The project is being advanced through collaboration between Nippon Paper Industries and Yamaha Motor. In 2023, the company's CNF-reinforced resin was adopted for an engine cover on Yamaha Motor's personal watercraft. Going forward, the companies expect the material's high strength and water resistance as an exterior component, together with the benefits of material recyclability, to contribute to reducing CO2 emissions.

As part of its production system, the expanded pilot facility installed at the Fuji Mill can produce more than 50 tonnes of CNF-reinforced resin annually. The company is also participating in a related subsidy program of NEDO. Having already obtained ISO 9001 certification, the company plans to accelerate expansion beyond the marine sector into general-purpose transportation equipment components, including two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles.

This initiative aims to reduce environmental impact and establish a mass-production system through the use of a new material that combines CNF production technology based on the Kyoto Process with the company's proprietary dispersion technology.

Going forward, the company will pursue stable mass production, quality improvements and cost reductions, while expanding the material into a range of industrial applications and increasing production volumes.