KTIS Joins GGC to Add Value of Bagasse
The two companies will also collaborate with Chempolis from Finland to introduce Cellulosic Technology which aims to add value of sugar cane pulp, hoping to continue the 2nd phase of Nakhon Sawan Bio-Complex Project.
The managing board member of Global Green Chemical Public Company Limited (GGC) Mr. Seksan Arttanmangkul said that the GGC and KTIS had since the beginning of this year signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to study and plan the NBC project together. The project is divided into 2 phases. The first one, worth about 7,650 million Baht, includes an investment for developing a complete biochemical industry, consisting of ethanol, biomass electricity, infrastructure and systems to promote central manufacturing processes of the 2nd phase infrastructure. The second phase, with an estimated investment value of 10,000-30,000 million Baht, will be composed of a bioplastic and chemical factory and a supplementary food one.
During the 2nd phase, GGC and KTIS are planning to add value of sugar cane pulp, a type of biomass, as a raw material to make an environmentally friendly chemical product. At the same time, they realized that Chempolis was developing Cellulostic Technology and had successfully transformed sugar cane pulp to some sugar and high-value substances like Furfural Acetic Acid and Lignin. So, the two companies would like to explore possibilities for future development, which led to the recently signed MOU.
Mr. Seksan added that the company’s long-term expectation for 5-10 years from construction of Nakhon Sawan Bio-Complex was an increase of both bio-economical and sugar cane values, knowledge improvement and promotion of agriculture at the initial stage, an increase of individual farmers’ annual income from employment rates, recruitment of various knowledge workers and high-tech labors of bioenergy, biochemical and bioplastic, support sustainable and competitive bioenergy production according to the Alternative Energy Development Plan of B.E. 2558-2579, improvement of research and innovation as well as construction of an innovation center in Nakhon Sawan. The innovation center aims to increase effective agricultural and advanced biotechnology products via cooperation of concerned research and development centers. Also, the Bio-Complex construction will promote local and international investment of biochemical and bioplastic industry.
As a flagship of PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) Pl. Co. Ltd. and a leader of environmentally friendly chemical products in Thailand, GGC is ready to add more value to palm and sugar cane, which are industrial crops of the country, through an over 14 million Baht investment. The company will launch a pilot project to develop both the EEC area, where the second Methyl Esther factory of Thailand has started working since the end of August, 2018, and the NBC project in the lower northern area of the country.
The chairman of KTIS executive board Mr. Prapan Siriwiriyakul said that the present cabinet had approved an amendment of the National Act of Sugar and Sugar Cane to promote bio-investment so that a new press sugar cane factory would be built close to an old one. However, the owner of the old press sugarcane factory has to give a consent to prevent fights over sugar cane as a raw material between manufacturers. Besides, molasses can be used to produce ethanol in addition to sugar. Also, with the same privilege to area of the Eastern Economic Community (EEC) investment, the 2nd phase of the NBC is more possible. Now, more manufacturers are talking about joint-investment for the project, of which the investment of the two phases costs approximately 40,000 to 50,000 million Baht.
The first phase of the NBC project, under the so-called Chaba project, highlights a sugar cane pressing factory with yearly capacity of 2.4 tons of sugar cane, an 85 MW electrical plant and an ethanol factory with daily capacity of 600,000 liters. It is believed to mobilize Thai economy and encourage local farmers.
Now, Thailand has a large amount of sugar cane, but sugar pressing completion takes quite some time. Normally, the process starts in November, but prolongs until April or May in the following year. The NBC project will help Thai farmers to complete the press sugar more quickly.
