Thailand looks at ways to convert agricultural waste to fuel

At the PTT Research and Technology Institute and other research facilities in Thailand, scientists are working towards breaking down agricultural wastes like rice straw so that it can be converted to biofuels in a cost-efficient way.  PTT will build a pilot plant this year to produce 455,000 liters of ethanol annually.  If PTT and other companies are successful, the cost-efficient conversion of agricultural waste to fuel will help Thailand’s growing economy, reduce fuel imports and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, Thailand imports 800,000 barrels of crude oil per day. In February, the cost of crude oil imports came to US$2.26 billion, up 13.5 % from a year ago.  Tevin Vongvanich, chief financial officer for PTT, said, “Going into the future, we need to look at technology that will produce ethanol and biodiesel from the remaining part of the plants, the cellulose, not the food part.  That will not compete for the food chain.  That is something we need to work out.”  Krairit Nikuha, director general of the Ministry of Energy’s Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, said the government’s goal is to replace 20.3% of energy use with renewable or alternative energy by 2022.  The research being conducted by PTT and other research centers on the development of renewable fuel will be critical in meeting that goal. (May 28, 2011)