(Photo: iStock)
Thailand is set to launch its inaugural commercial green hydrogen project in partnership with a Chinese company, aiming to accelerate the country’s transition towards green and low-carbon initiatives.
Chinese energy firm Beijing Mingyang Hydrogen Technology signed an agreement on Jan. 26 with IBCLNG, Thailand’s first liquefied natural gas distributor, to jointly develop a 25 MW electrolysis project.
According to the deal, IBCLNG will source high-efficient electrolyzer from Mingyang Hydrogen. The Chinese firm will provide technical expertise and personnel support to build an integrated “generation, storage, and utilization” green hydrogen infrastructure in Thailand.
The resulting green hydrogen will be channeled downstream to steel enterprises, fostering the “green” production of environmentally friendly steel, lowering carbon footprints, and enhancing production sustainability.
IBCLNG’s deputy managing director, Charernsook Siriyong, said that hydrogen is significant as a clean and versatile secondary energy source and pivotal in the global energy transition.
He noted that Thailand predominantly relies on grey hydrogen, derived from fossil fuel combustion or industrial by-products, which releases substantial carbon dioxide during production.
Charernsook said that the European Union is gradually introducing a carbon border adjustment mechanism, imposing “carbon tariffs” on imports products like cement, aluminum, and steel from countries with relatively lenient carbon emission restrictions.
He emphasized that “failing to do so, it could increase future export costs and result in losing the first-mover advantage in the market.”
Thailand is dedicated to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065. The government has launched a roadmap to achieve these goals, urging relevant stakeholders to take actions to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Some major energy firms in the country have already begun investing in hydrogen technology and supplying hydrogen for electricity generation to businesses in industrial parks or converting hydrogen into synthetic fuels for transportation and other uses.
