Japan bearing firm sees increased sales for wind generators

NTN Corp.expects sales of the devices used in wind-power generators to exceed target after the Fukushima disaster spurred demand for alternative energy sources.

NTN , a Japanese maker of bearings for cars and industrial gear, may reach its revenue target for the specialized bearings six months or a year earlier than previously estimated, Shigeyoshi Takagi, president of the Osaka-based company, said in an interview this week. The company had expected the segment to rise six-fold in the three years ending March 2014, he said, declining to give specific figures.

Meltdowns caused by damage from the March 11 tsunami at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Dai-ichi plant in Fukushima threw Japan’s energy industry into disarray, prompting opposition to providers’ plans to restart idle reactors. Tokyo Electric and its next-biggest rival Kansai Electric Power Co., which serves the Osaka area, asked users to cut electricity consumption by 15 percent over the peak summer demand period as they worked to restore capacity.

“Attention is focused on clean energy sources after the accident,” Takagi, 60, said. “Local governments in Japan may accelerate moves to develop independent infrastructure for renewable energy.”

The full story is available at Bloomberg.