TPI Polene, which was honoured for being the ‘Best ESG Energy Efficiency Initiative Company’ during the International Finance Awards 2023, supports the municipal waste disposal initiatives in Thailand by converting waste to fuel and energy, apart from generating electric power from renewable energy by using fuel from refuse and waste heat.

The venture, while developing production technologies suitable for waste conditions in Thailand, is also manufacturing industrial refuse-derived fuel.

By maintaining and following the standards of environmental impact management, TPI Polene is also building responsibilities for its stakeholders, apart from committing to social development together with corporate sustainability.

Persistent drive toward higher efficiency

“Leveraging on the knowhow accumulated over years of R&D activities by our over 500 or so scientists and engineers in both processes and products TPI Polene Power Plc (TPIPP) persistently aimed to squeeze more efficiency gains to drive operating rates and profitability of its power plants while advancing the goal toward lower carbon footprint, extract more economic value from household garbage and waste and help Thailand address the problem of ever-increasing household garbage and shrinking area available for dedicated landfills,” the venture told the International Finance.

By 31st December 2021, the company had eight commercially operating power plants with a total of 440 MW of installed power generation capacity, divided into Waste-Fired Power Plants and Waste Heat Recovery Power Plants.

Harnessing power from waste heat

TPI Polene has emerged as Thailand’s second-largest cement producer with an installed capacity of 13.5 million tons combined from its four plants.

“In the process of turning limestone into clinker a raw meal is produced in the rotary kiln that is to be solidified quickly via air quenching chambers (AQCs) to cool the clinker. The process results in the emission of hot exhaust gas from the AQCs. Previously this hot exhaust gas was released into the atmosphere. Now facilities have been installed to recover the hot exhaust gas feed it to the boilers and produce steam using condensed water that is then fed into the steam turbine that drives power generation. From the four plants, TPIPP can produce up to 40MW of power from the recycled waste heat,” the venture informed International Finance.

Some of the gains from this method are the reduction of heat released to the environment, reduction of power consumption purchased from the national grid, and value creation for industrial waste.

“Our processing techniques, always adapting in order to extract the highest calorific value have allowed us to bring down the processing cost of the waste,” TPI Polene continued further.

Fossil free by 2026

“To advance our ESG agenda and make a more definitive contribution towards BCG economy, we are embarking on a five-year modification project to convert our coal-fired power plant capacity to WTE-MSW. Upon completion our MSW requirement will rise to 17,000 tons per day which could translate into 12.0 million tons of CO2 equivalent based on specific ratios. Along with other ongoing accreditation projects, we will continue to add carbon merits boosting our current certified carbon of 1.2 million tons and 1.4 million I-REC credits,” TPI Polene remarked.

Also, TPI Polene also has the commitment to embrace the policy called ‘Circular Economy’ at all stages of its business operations.

“Waste from one process is a raw material for another to maximise the benefits of resource utilisation. In a bio-based economy, material cycles are efficient and sustainable in the supply chain in the business, social and community sectors,” it stated.

“In addition, TPI Polene Group aims to improve the group’s production efficiency and products under the concept of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value-added products to support the country’s agricultural sector in the country,” the business stated further.

“The joining of the three initiatives, the Circular economy, the Green economy and the Bio-economy represents the implementation of the economy towards sustainable development, and as mutually supportive concepts, which is called Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG), a business model innovation to drive TPI Polene Power Group to grow with globally competitive advantages and to diversify income to communities by protecting the surrounding environment to further enhance the sustainable growth,” TPI said.

The key objective here is to manufacture green products, thus covering areas including sales, logistic systems, and after-sales services.

“The positive impact we generate cuts across various stakeholders from creating value for our shareholders, helping Thailand address the issue of ever-growing pile of garbage, creating opportunities for better land use and economic value of cleared landfills and promoting green economy,” TPI Polene concluded.

The post The TPI Polene way of squeezing efficiency through green actions appeared first on International Finance.

Around less than 1% of the world’s emissions come from Thailand, and per-person emissions are lower than average, but recent years have seen an increase in air quality-related worries. Thailand’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by 0.8% yearly from 2011–21, which is greater than the global average of 0.6% but still less than the Asia–Pacific average of 1.8%, according to statistics from the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2022.

The International Energy Agency predicts that CO2 emissions will reach their peak before 2030. Thailand gains from having a large portion of the service sector, which produces less pollution than industry. Nevertheless, 36% of Thailand’s CO2 emissions were from power generation, followed by industry (30%) and transportation (28%). This highlights Thailand’s need to diversify the energy source of its manufacturing industry by moving away from fossil fuel-based power, as well as expanding the fleet of low carbon transport.

Thailand continues to be heavily dependent on fossil fuels. The country’s energy use was strongly skewed towards oil and natural gas, which together accounted for 77% of all energy consumption in 2021, according to data from the BP assessment. Overall energy consumption includes coal at 17%, which is low compared to the average for Asia-Pacific at 47%, which was mostly driven by high usage in China (55%), India (57%) and Indonesia (39%). Similar to regional peers, renewable energy consumption took up only 6.3% of the total, but between 2011 and 2021, it increased significantly, averaging 18% annually.

A sense of urgency is rising
Thailand does not have a good track record when it comes to committing to sustainability goals and combating climate change. The nation has a history of demonstrating insufficient commitment despite having strong intentions, according to the Climate Efforts Tracker, a research organisation that tracks government efforts to prevent climate change. The Thai government most recently established targets for carbon neutrality by 2050 and a net-zero GHG emission target in 2065 at the Glasgow UN Climate Change Conference in 2021, ranking Thailand among the laggards. It did not sign an agreement to end deforestation by 2030.

However, there are indications that the situation is becoming worse. The rise in gas and oil prices brought on by the conflict in Ukraine and the political unrest in Myanmar—Thailand’s main natural gas supplier—add the need to increase renewable energy in the mix, in addition to the concern for the environment.

A noticeable policy change towards a more ambitious goal and higher priority for the promotion of sustainable practice became apparent in 2022. Thailand’s second updated nationally determined contribution, which included a more aggressive goal to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 30–40% from the predicted business-as-usual level by 2030, was revealed in November 2022. The Thailand government also announced a revised version of its Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions Development Strategy, which proposed accelerated efforts to combat greenhouse emissions.

In response to worldwide criticism of Thailand’s lack of action, the BCG model, in place since 2021, attempts to demonstrate a better public commitment to climate change risk and sustainability. During the meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in November 2022, it was given a more prominent position as a cornerstone of economic policy. The government’s initiatives actually concentrate on four economic sectors: food and agriculture, health care and wellness, energy, materials, and biochemicals, as well as tourism and the “creative” economy. In order to increase interest in the industries where Thailand currently has an edge, the BCG policy effort blends Thailand’s sustainable drive with an investment promotion policy. The Climate Change Act, which is now in draught form, is another measure that suggests that change-related actions have advanced.

Regulators are also developing finance industry policies to assist sustainable practices. The Securities Exchange Commission and the Bank of Thailand, the country’s central bank, are currently working on the Thailand Taxonomy, a set of standards that will serve as the foundation for a system of sustainable financial services and the development of related products.

Thailand’s solar energy market
The Thai solar energy market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 8.5%, between 2022 to 2027. The COVID-19 pandemic slightly affected the solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the country during Q1 and Q2 2020, but due to lockdown limitations, supply chain disruptions, decreased solar PV output, and delayed project implementation. The 45 MW floating solar farm’s operation was delayed by the government-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). During the projection period, the solar energy market in Thailand is anticipated to be driven by elements such as significant government support for solar power development in the form of feed-in tariffs, the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), and falling prices for solar PV systems.

The ground-mounted solar PV category holds the largest proportion of the country’s solar energy market due to the installed capacity of ground-mounted solar PV and the huge number of forthcoming projects in Thailand. The region is anticipated to increase the chances for solar energy firms to develop solar PV facilities over the next few years because it has an aim of decreasing GHG emissions to 20.8% by 2030. Additionally, the area has ambitions to lessen its reliance on foreign fossil fuels like crude oil and use renewable energy sources like solar to cut costs associated with imported oil. The market is also driven by favourable government policies, particularly those developed by the Ministry of Thailand to promote the production of electricity based on renewable resources.

The solar PV segment is predicted to hold the greatest market share during the projection period due to the decreasing cost of solar modules and the ability of these systems to be used for a variety of purposes, including the production of electricity and water heating.

The installed solar PV capacity in Thailand increased from 1,420 MW in 2015 to around 2,983 MW in 2020, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), registering a growth of almost 11% over the course of the year. Large-scale solar PV installation deployments in India, notably for utility projects, are to blame for the growth. The Indian government intends to boost installed solar PV capacity as well.

Meanwhile, a 12 MW solar rooftop PV project was launched by BCPG Public Company Limited (BCPG) in 2020 and is situated on the roof of Chiang Mai University in Thailand. In December 2021, Dezhou Dingzhuang floating solar photovoltaic park’s second phase (120 MW) was connected by Huaneng Power International Inc. The plant has a 320 MW installed capacity overall, and the project can produce about 550 million kWh of power annually.

New opportunities in renewable energy sectors
The pathway to carbon neutrality and net zero will be challenging and will require a strong political will to see it through. According to a report by Economist Intelligence, Thailand should create an energy transition plan for the transport and energy sectors in particular. The country’s power sector, which accounts for the majority of its emissions, has to shift away from natural gas (coal’s role has already diminished over time) and towards renewables, particularly solar and wind in the long term. The transformation requires new infrastructure, including grid management, energy storage, and efficiency enhancement. If fossil fuels are used for direct consumption, Thailand’s heavy industries and manufacturing sectors that are export-oriented will also need to increase their energy efficiency.

Thailand will need to increase the effectiveness of its public transport system and encourage electrification through infrastructure, such as charging stations, as well as financial incentives for consumers. Thailand will eventually need to reduce emissions from the agricultural sector through compensatory measures including carbon sinks (like reforestation) and carbon capture and storage. In the near to medium term, Economist Intelligence anticipates additional opportunities to focus on renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs), which are now drawing a lot of investment and garnering more government support.

The post Is Thailand environmentally sustainable? appeared first on International Finance.

In the last 12 months, Fossil Group doubled its points of distribution for its connected devices and more than doubled its sales of wearables. Google continues to be a key strategic partner for the company, supporting the expansion of products powered by Android Wear 2.0. The expansion announcement further cements Fossil Group and Google as leaders in fashion-first smartwatches.

“Today our wearables segment is the fastest-growing part of our business,” said Greg McKelvey, chief strategy and digital officer at Fossil Group. “Customer demand is strong and getting stronger, and we’re just on the front end of this business evolution. Clearly, this distinct combination of the best design and the best tech is winning with fashion-conscious consumers, especially our female customers who were long neglected by other wearables brands.”

Earlier this year, Fossil Group introduced its 2017 touchscreen smartwatch line-up, all of which are compatible with both iOS and Android phones. All feature stunning full-round AMOLED displays that preserve the integrity of sophisticated watch design with crystal-clear illumination and crisp resolution. Game-changing improvements in hardware design mean watch form factors are thinner, sleeker, and more comfortable than ever before, and even more appealing to the female customer.

“Our partnership with Fossil Group has been a driving force for the growth of Android Wear’s device portfolio, which has allowed us to offer users choices and diversity,” said David Singleton, vice president of Android engineering at Google. “We are thrilled to continue the partnership into 2018 and implement new ways to connect fashion and technology, leveraging the flexibility of Android Wear and the design capabilities of Fossil Group and its brands.”

Powered by Android Wear 2.0, Fossil Group’s 2018 touchscreen smartwatches will continue to be compatible with both iOS and Android phones and allow users to customize key information to appear on their watch face, create shortcuts to play music, hail a ride, or monitor activity goals. Additionally, third-party apps can be downloaded through the on-watch Google Play™ Store. Customers will continue to be able to personalize watch faces by choosing from thousands of branded dial designs and custom color combinations to best fit their personal style.

Brands with new Android Wear smartwatches launching in fall or holiday 2017 include:

• Diesel – The first Diesel On Full Guard touchscreen smartwatch will be available for presale August 29, with the entire collection globally available September 25.
• Emporio Armani – The first Emporio Armani Connected touchscreen smartwatch is the epitome of sophistication, combining classic watch design with innovative technology. The smartwatch – available September 14 – features 11 interchangeable straps and a Saved Faces watch app, which allows you to take your watch from day to night with leather, silicone and stainless steel straps.
• Fossil – Fossil launches its first full-round touchscreen smartwatches, Fossil Q Venture and Fossil Q Explorist. These sleeker smartwatches feature stunning OLED displays and exclusive new watch apps. New styles are now available in select Fossil stores and on Fossil.com.
• Michael Kors – The Michael Kors Access Sofie touchscreen smartwatches were developed with women in mind and feature a dazzling, sleek casebody and screen. The Michael Kors Access Grayson touchscreen smartwatch is designed for the sophisticated man on the go with a stainless steel casebody and oversized screen. All new Michael Kors Access touchscreen smartwatches will be available globally September 25.
• Misfit – Misfit Vapor, which includes heart rate monitoring, standalone music functionality, and is swim proof to 5ATM, will be available in October.
  New hybrid smartwatch styles from Armani Exchange, Chaps, Emporio Armani, Diesel, DKNY, Fossil, kate spade new york, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, MICHELE, Misfit, Relic, Skagen and Tory Burch will also hit stores during the fall and holiday season.

By the end of 2017, Fossil Group will have launched more than 300 connected watch styles across 14 brands. The devices are now also active in 50 countries and 21 languages.

Fossil Group offers more hybrid and touchscreen smartwatch options than any company in the world. The company is featuring new wearables on display at IFA 2017 in Berlin, Germany at booth 216.

The post Fossil group and Google hit the accelerator on fashion-first smartwatches appeared first on International Finance.