Thai government looks at waste plastics

Thailand’s PTT PCL, Bangchak Petroleum PCL and government ministries have jointly started a feasibility study to produce light crude oil from waste plastic, Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said. The Thai ministries that are participating in the pilot project are the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Interior. Single Point Energy & Environment Ltd., a private company that provides imported technology for converting plastic waste into light crude, will also participate in the feasibility study, Piyasvasti said. “This will be a pilot project to produce light crude from plastic waste, which would help us reduce crude imports.” Commercial production of light crude from plastic waste would require an investment of 65 million baht (US$2 million), Single Point Energy & Environment Chairman Mechai Viravaidya said, adding that 2,000 tons a year of plastic waste would be needed to produce 10,000 barrels a year of light crude oil. (April 9, 2007)