Green energy paving the way for Thailand's roadmap to clean energy, pure air, and sustainable economic and social stability

By VRP Development Holdings Co., Ltd.

Thailand generates over 70 million tons of agricultural waste per year after harvesting, in addition to more than 200 million tons of bamboo that can be promoted for cultivation each year. This results in a total of 270 million tons per year. These agricultural waste materials and bamboo can be used to produce biomass pellets. Since biomass pellets made from agricultural waste and bamboo are considered carbon-neutral clean-burning fuels, they can serve as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels in clean electricity generation and industrial production to reduce carbon emissions.

Due to their clean-burning, carbon-neutral properties, biomass pellets made from agricultural waste and bamboo can replace fossil fuels such as coal, bunker oil, and natural gas. This would significantly reduce carbon emissions and promote the use of clean energy. As a result, there is a growing global and domestic demand for these pellets, with consumption reaching several thousand tons per year. However, due to the lightweight nature of agricultural waste and its remote location from biomass pellet production plants, transportation costs are high and the quantity of material per trip is low. Furthermore, the establishment of pellet production facilities involves high land acquisition and construction costs, making pellet production less cost-effective than using coal. This has led to several challenges over the past decades in Thailand and globally:

1. The Issue of Carbon Emissions from Fossil Fuels: The shortage of biomass pellets has resulted in the continued reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation and industrial production, leading to significant carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion.

2. The Issue of PM 2.5 Pollution from Agricultural Waste Burning: Without the ability to convert agricultural waste into biomass pellets, farmers resort to burning agricultural residues before replanting, which causes significant PM 2.5 pollution. This results in millions of people suffering from respiratory illnesses and over 30,000 premature deaths per year. The economic losses from such pollution are also substantial, amounting to hundreds of billions of baht.

3. The Issue of Poverty Among Farmers and Rural Communities: Farmers miss out on the potential income they could earn from agricultural waste that could be converted into biomass pellets.

Given these problems, the development of an innovation that can efficiently convert the 270 million tons of agricultural waste and bamboo into biomass pellets would provide a solution. Biomass pellets could serve as an alternative energy source for clean electricity generation and industrial processes, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions. This would not only mitigate PM 2.5 pollution from agricultural burning but also generate additional income for farmers and rural communities. Furthermore, it could reduce Thailand's dependency on imported fossil fuels, saving hundreds of billions of baht per year.

Fortunately, the Pollution Control Department and private sector entities have signed a memorandum of cooperation to research, develop, and create innovations that enable the efficient production of biomass pellets from agricultural waste. One such innovation is the "Mobile Biomass Pellet Production System," which addresses the challenges of existing fixed production facilities. This mobile system eliminates the need for costly land acquisition, factory construction, and transportation of agricultural waste, resulting in lower production costs compared to market prices for biomass pellets and coal. The innovation can effectively convert agricultural waste and bamboo into biomass pellets, making it a viable solution to the challenges mentioned above.

Government agencies, including provincial agricultural promotion offices, the Fourth Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), and the Rice Department, have also collaborated and signed agreements to implement this innovation in the production of biomass pellets for clean energy and industrial use, while promoting no-burn farming practices to prevent PM 2.5 pollution. The results have been promising, and the innovation has been granted patent registration (No. 21944) by the Department of Intellectual Property. The ISOC has also awarded the innovation with a Certificate of Recognition for its excellence.

Therefore, the government is now in a position to use the mobile biomass pellet production system to scale up the production of biomass pellets made from agricultural waste and bamboo. This will address several key national issues:

1. Solving the Clean Energy and Carbon Emissions Crisis: 1.1. Biomass pellets can serve as a substitute for fossil fuels in the production of clean electricity, adding tens of thousands of megawatts per year to Thailand's electricity generation capacity, and reducing carbon emissions by hundreds of millions of tons per year. This will also attract foreign investment, boosting the nation's GDP. 1.2. Biomass pellets can be used in industrial processes to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels, preventing the impact of carbon emission taxes on exports, which are valued at over 10 trillion baht per year. 1.3. Biomass pellets can replace LPG in cooking, reducing fuel costs for businesses and households, and alleviating the need for government subsidies on LPG, which currently amount to tens of billions of baht per year.

2. Combating PM 2.5 Pollution from Agricultural Waste Burning: 2.1. The promotion of no-burn farming practices will prevent PM 2.5 pollution from agricultural residue burning across 17 northern provinces and farming areas nationwide, protecting millions of people from illness and preventing over 30,000 premature deaths per year This will also prevent the economic losses caused by PM 2.5 pollution, which amount to hundreds of billions of baht each year.

3. Alleviating Poverty Among Farmers: 3.1. The innovation will provide farmers and rural communities with income from agricultural waste and bamboo, valued at hundreds of billions of baht per year.

The mobile biomass pellet production system and its associated innovations are part of Thailand's circular economy (BCG) strategy, promoting green energy and sustainability in line with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. This initiative will contribute to Thailand's transition to clean energy, pure air, and economic and social stability, ensuring sustainable development (SDGs) in the long term.