The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) plans to invest in hydrogen energy projects, which would include the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles to transport workers in its industrial estates, as part of efforts to shift towards clean energy.
The authority is in talks with the Trade Policy Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry regarding clean energy investment in its industrial estates.
Hydrogen energy projects are expected to be carried out in Smart Park, said Veeris Ammarapala, governor of the IEAT.
Smart Park, located on 1,383 rai in the coastal province of Rayong, is being developed to serve S-curve industries in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
The EEC area covers parts of Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao, which will be turned into a high-tech industrial hub hosting 12 targeted S-curve industries, including new-generation cars and smart electronics.
"We aim to adopt more clean energy in our industrial estates in line with a carbon neutrality policy," said Mr Veeris.
Carbon neutrality refers to efforts to strike a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and absorption.
The IEAT plans to import hydrogen for use in the transport and logistics sectors in industrial complexes, including Smart Park.
In the long term, it wants to build a hydrogen production plant to serve vehicles used in Smart Park.
Mr Veeris said IEAT has also joined hands with the Japan External Trade Organization and a company in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong to conduct a joint study on a hydrogen energy development project.
The IEAT wants financial support from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization in order to push ahead with the project.
The authority also signed an agreement with seven organisations to study various aspects of a carbon neutrality plan at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, including fossil fuel reduction, carbon dioxide emission reduction and the development of an energy storage system.
The IEAT also invited Japanese investors to invest in the Map Ta Phut deep-sea port, currently under the three-phase development on 1,000 rai of land.
The value of the investment for the third-phase of the development stands at 55 billion baht.
