Recycling and Renewable Energy in Thailand
Information on renewable energies, recycling and environmental laws and policies in Thailand...
Since
1992 Thailand has had a plan to develop renewable energy and reduce energy
dependency. The Department of
Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency's (DEDE) heads
these efforts. Thailand has set itself the target of increasing alternative
energy consumption from 9,025 ktoe (kilo tonnes of oil equivalent) in 2014 to
24,638 ktoe in 2021. The Department
of Alternative Energy and Development and Efficiency has been assigned to oversee these improvements.
Renewable Energy
In
2006 the government implemented an "Energy Policy and Development
Plan" from the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC). This is a further development
of the Thailand Energy Conservation Act of 1992. The aim of this plan is to
restructure and improve energy industry management and to promote alternative
energy. A variety of renewable energy options along with energy efficiency are
included in the strategy.
Government
incentives are used to encourage the use of renewable sources. For the latest
facts and figures visit the Alternative Energy and Information Center
Renewable energy sources
There
is a huge potential for solar and wind power in
Thailand. The Royal Thai Government have taken steps to increase renewable
energy in the country by tapping into solar power. There are several solar
photovoltaic (PV) projects operating successfully, even though they typically
incur large start-up costs.
Small
scale hydro-power systems
have proved promising but high costs of materials, equipment and expertise are
limiting their construction.
Biomass offers
one of the most promising sources of potential energy. Sources of biomass in
Thailand include fuel wood, rice husks, bagasse, coconuts, corn cobs and
distillery slop. Biogas can also be derived from animal dung and cassava.
Further
information about the use of renewable energy in Thailand can be found at the
following links:
- Directory of renewable energy businesses in Thailand
- Thailand's Energy Policy and Development Plan (PDF)
Environmental Laws
The
following links have information about laws to protect the environment in
Thailand:
- Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment (In Thai)
- Information
from the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion
- Information on
pollution and conservation laws, regional air quality and water quality
from the Pollution
Control Department
Transport and Air Pollution
The
transport sector demands the largest proportion of energy and is responsible
for most oil imports. These account for almost half of the country's energy
supply. Biofuel is especially important as an alternative for the transport
sector, because of Thailand's ability to produce locally the raw materials.
The
rapid increase in the number of motor vehicles in Thailand has led to major air
pollution problems in Bangkok and other large cities. Ambient air quality
standards have been designated in response to this, but implementation of these
standards is variable at best, for a number of reasons. As a result, the air
quality at congested roadsides in Bangkok rarely meets the national air quality
standard.
There
has been much pressure on the government to reduce traffic, especially in
Bangkok. There are several efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Mass transport
systems such as the BTS or Metro have been built and will be extended in the
future and have already considerably improved Bangkok's air quality.
Natural
gas is promoted as a replacement to oil and there are plans to increase palm
oil production which is already used for the production of biodiesel.
- Information on
petroleum, NGV, LGV, power and energy conservation from the Energy
Policy and Planning Office
- Information on
the Pollution
Prevention
Tax Incentives and Government Subsidies
Incentives
to encourage the use of renewable energy sources include tax reductions, the
possibility of increased fees when selling power to the grid and Board of
Investment (BOI) promotions. The BOI offers several privileges for various
investments involved with energy conservation and alternative energy.
Investment projects are entitled to exemption from import duty on machinery and
an eight-year cap-free exemption on corporate tax.
- Visit the Thailand Board of Investment to see which activities are eligible
Recycling
The
Thai government has made efforts to encourage the promotion of the 3 Rs:
reduce, re-use and recycle, although there is no formal recycling scheme. The
government has pledged to recycle 75% of its waste by 2021 and shift to 100%
recycled plastics by 2027.
Some
financial and technical support has been given to local governments to improve
waste management. As a result, successful recycling projects have been
implemented in the private sector and in some local communities. More private
recycling businesses are popping up throughout the country. One particularly
successful company is Wongpanit which has 400 branches across the country.
There
is no organised rubbish collection in many rural areas. Traditionally, waste in
rural areas was mainly organic and food waste which can be used as fuel and
animal feed. However, the introduction of plastic food wrappers and household
items has resulted in litter problems.
Residents
separate some items from their waste to sell to street buyers. Waste collectors
and pickers separate recyclable material from rubbish in dustbins, trash cans
and from landfills. The larger businesses can sell some materials directly to
the recycling factories. Together, they salvage approximately 22 percent of
urban waste.
Materials
that are regularly collected for recycling include plastic and glass bottles,
food tins and cartons, paper and cardboard. Some of these items are sold to
recycling factories; some are used directly to make new products.
A green label has been introduced for consumer and industrial products and has been awarded to over 500 products. However, it has not been a huge success due to consumer belief that "green" products are more expensive.
Water use
During the rainy season large quantities of rain fall, but increasing urban populations are putting higher demands on the fresh water supplies. Very little water is recycled in Thailand and less than one third of municipal districts have facilities for treating sewage. This is resulting in contamination of ground and surface waters which further increases the need to recycle water. Water management is one of the government’s top priorities and it has pledged to create 93 community wastewater treatment plants across Thailand.
Further Information
- Ministry of
Energy (partly in English)
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - A general guide on how to create
less waste
- Recycling Thailand – Private company’s recycling initiative