More use of biodiesel promoted in Thailand

BANGKOK, March 16 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Transport, and PTT Public Company Limited (PTT) under the Ministry of Energy, are joining forces to test run B10 biodiesel on local trains, in which more palm oil is used than the B7 product, or from 7 per cent to 10 per cent of the biodiesel compound. Thai Deputy Transport Minister Pairin Chuchotethavorn presided over a ceremony on Friday to launch the pilot project on the test run of the use of the B10 biodiesel on local trains of the Ban Laem-Mae Klong route in Bangkok's adjacent Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkram Provinces over the next six months, or during February-July 2018. Pairin said the pilot project is part of his ministry's ongoing transport infrastructure development strategy 2015-2022, under which main objectives of Thailand's transport development are stated, including a cut in pollution and accidents. According to the deputy transport minister, the pilot project is also aimed to strengthen and sustain the agricultural economy in the country in the long run. Meanwhile, PTT Senior Executive Vice President for Oil Business Unit Jiraphon Kawswat told journalists that PTT has supported the Thai government's policy on easing the problem of oil palm oversupply by stocking more bio-diesel to 63 million liters, from 23 million liters previously, in order to help uphold the oil palm prices on the domestic market to assist local growers of oil palms. (TNA)