WASTE MANAGEMENT
Renewable energy experts diversify
YUTHANA
PRAIWAN
To tap
into opportunities in the fast-growing environmental business, two local
manufacturers have blended their expertise in energy and machinery to serve a
new market.
A joint
venture company called Zero Waste Ltd has been formed by Royal Equipment Ltd
(REL), a renewable energy system management consultant that holds 60%, and the
machinery designer and maker Therm Engineering Ltd (TEL) with 40%.
Zero
Waste has registered capital of 10 million baht, according to REL president
Phichai Tinsuntisook.
The new
firm intends to bid for concessions to operate major waste management projects
of municipalities across the country.
''Dozens
of municipalities at present are struggling to seek available landfill sites in
the face of opposition by community residents and strict environmental
regulations,'' Mr Pichai said.
At the
same time, the proliferation of sludge from households and factories is
noticeable.
Zero
Waste will focus on projects worth at least 300 million baht; otherwise, REL
will enter the bidding itself.
He said
the two partners were well placed to pool their expertise. REL is experienced
in managing waste while TEL owns pyrolysis technology and produces machinery
and equipment. Pyrolysis is a technology used to convert plastic waste back to
its original form, crude oil.
The
joint venture will operate fully integrated production, from initial waste
management to turning wastes to renewable fuels in one single unit, such as
biogas from landfill and crude from plastic waste, liquefied petroleum gas,
heat or fertiliser, and use these fuels for generating power.
REL
recently won a bid for a 90-million-baht waste-to-energy project by Khon Kaen
Municipality. The project will begin construction within this year.
Mr
Pichai said the joint venture was also open for other potential partners to
form a consortium to join bids.
The
Energy Policy and Planning Office has earmarked a budget of 105 million baht to
finance municipal waste-to-energy projects.
EPPO
will finance 32% of total project cost up to 35 million baht for each one, with
a requirement that it have a capacity to manage more than 30 tonnes a day of
waste, six tonnes of which should be plastic.
Qualified
projects also need to produce biogas and electricity output that could be sold
to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, which will pay an
additional price of 2.50 baht per unit (kilowatt/hour) on top of normal power
rate.
Three municipalities
have received financial support so far: Khon Kaen, Warin Chamrap in Ubon
Ratchathani, and Phitsanulok.
Mr
Pichai said REL was now conducting research on jatropha production, focusing on
how to develop output from the plants apart from biodiesel. Other possible
applications are chemical, pharmaceutical and fertiliser products.
Eric
Lombardi
Executive
Director
Eco-Cycle
Inc
5030
Pearl St.
Boulder,
CO. 80301
303-444-6634
www.ecocycle.org
"We don't have a waste problem, we have a resource
opportunity."