Thailand’s EGAT targets biomass, hydrogen to cut CO2 emissions

[webfact]

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is endeavouring to combat climate change by adopting alternative fuels to replace coal in its power plants. Partnering with the Forest Industry Organisation, a study is underway to identify fast-growing plants suitable for conversion into biomass fuel. This initiative falls within EGAT’s strategy for long-term CO2 reduction, as confirmed by Chaiwut Lakmuang, the assistant governor for sustainability management at EGAT.

 

Chaiwut emphasised the importance of obtaining international standard certification for biomass fuel to ensure its effectiveness as a coal substitute. The collaboration between the two government agencies has resulted in a signed memorandum of understanding in their joint effort to pinpoint ideal locations for growing these plants.

 

The Mae Moh power plant in Lampang, a northern province of Thailand, is targeted by EGAT to have 2% of its coal replaced with biomass fuel. This will significantly contribute towards reducing CO2 emissions, explained Chaiwut. The growth of plants not only absorbs CO2 but also creates job opportunities and additional income for local communities, reported Bangkok Post.

 

EGAT’s subsidiary, Electricity Generating Plc (EGCO), has also been exploring sustainable alternatives by using hydrogen as a fuel source for its Linden Cogen Unit 6 power plant in the United States. The 172-megawatt plant in New Jersey has adopted a hydrogen blending programme that utilises a combined combustion of natural gas, hydrogen, and refinery off-gas, which is a by-product of crude oil refining.

This method of utilising off-gas containing hydrogen from a nearby oil refinery, blended with natural gas, improves operational efficiency and reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 10% annually, announced Thepparat Theppitak, president of EGCO.

 

National oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc has also shown interest in hydrogen as a sustainable fuel source. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with EGAT and ACWA Power, a Saudi Arabia-based renewable energy specialist, to co-develop green hydrogen. This green hydrogen, produced by using renewable energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, can be used to power generation and manufacturing processes.

 

by Alex Morgan

Photo courtesy of Liden Cogen Power Plant

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-02-20

 

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[JackGats]

Red herring. Plastic is the problem.

[stargrazer9889]

Forest fires are also a problem for CO2 being produced.

So are volcanoes, except they are not man made.

[BritScot]

1 minute ago, stargrazer9889 said:

Forest fires are also a problem for CO2 being produced.

So are volcanoes, except they are not man made.

And no money to be made.

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

a study is underway to identify fast-growing plants suitable for conversion into biomass fuel. This initiative falls within EGAT’s strategy for long-term CO2 reduction

PLAN C or D?

What happened to this previous solution?

"CU and EGAT jointly study conversion of CO2 released from power plants into methanol" 27 March 2023 https://www.egat.co.th

• "On March 24, 2023, Mr. Nitus Voraphonpiput, EGAT Deputy Governor – Fuel, and Dr. Supichai Tangjaitrong, Managing Director of Chula Unisearch, witnessed the signing ceremony of research and innovation fund agreement for the “Study of Direct Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol for decarbonization from flue gas of power plant” 

[Muhendis]

4 hours ago, stargrazer9889 said:

Forest fires are also a problem for CO2 being produced.

Well one would think so but in fact forest fires are in the realm of carbon being neutral.

When a forest is living it's normal life it is consuming CO2 by converting it into carbon and oxygen using photosynthesis.

When we burn wood from this forest, we are releasing the CO2 that it has captured. 

It's not a perfect equation because those trees actually produce a bit of CO2 when living, but on balance, considerably more CO2 is consumed than is produced.

 

[rickudon]

Forest fires are an issue. Becoming more frequent, which means more CO2 produced, and if we keep planting trees (to  reduce CO2) we just provide more fuel for forest fires. It may not be the biggest issue, but to many forest fires do not help.