BBGI Partners with SCGC and QTC to Drive Green Innovation
BBGI Plc (BBGI), SCG Chemical Plc (SCGC) and QTC Energy Plc have signed a commercial collaboration agreement to jointly develop and manufacture bio transformer oil for production trial, first time in Thailand, with plans to scale up towards commercial production, in line with the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) policy.
Mr. Kittiphong Limsuwannarot, President and Chief Executive Officer, BBGI Public Company Limited revealed the results for phase 2 of the bio transformer oil production trial has successfully scale up production capacity from laboratory-level. The trial also evaluated its significant properties such as viscosity, dielectric strength and autoignition point, with the results passing the required standards for transformer oil. Furthermore, the biobased oil was sent for a trial run on a transformer and found that it passed the transformer standards. BBG and partners are ready to sign the agreement to manufacture and perform quality assessment on the bio transformer oil products before commercialization, while conducting investment research to expand the existing biodiesel plant to support commercial production.
Mr.Suracha Udomsak, Executive Vice President – New Business and Chief Innovation Officer, SCG Chemicals Public Company Limited said of the agreement that SCGC continues to innovate chemical products for sustainability by adopting the circular economy principle and mega trends as framework to develop products and services. This innovation-driven value can help propel the economy, industry and quality of life, along with making a positive contribution to society and environment, which align with ESG principles. Also, the collaboration is an open innovation approach, enabling Texplore Co., Ltd., under SCGC group, to bring their expertise in catalyst technologies to develop bio transformer production technology from the palm oil industry’s by-product. The process involves adopting the industry’s by-product into BBGI’s manufacturing process, and move forward to QTC’s transformer oil testing method. This is the first time that Thailand produces its own bio-transformer oil to replace imports from overseas, marking a significant development towards fostering the country’s bio-economy. Moreover, the bio transformer oil, produced by this innovation, is biodegradable and environmentally friendly, which does not cause pollution on soil and aquatic environment, aligning with low carbon economy. This is a sustainable innovation that truly brings a positive impact.
Mr. Poonphiphat Tantanasin, Chief Executive Officer, QTC ENERGY Public Company Limited, transformer technology manufacturer and distributor, added that the bio transformer oil test results showed that its properties are equivalent to the manufacturers in the overseas market. In terms of advantage, the bio transformer oil has similar viscosity to mineral oil and can act as its replacement without designing a transformer that deviates from the original design and standard. As for the bio-based oil produced at the pre-marketing phase, QTC will be the first buyer to utilize and distribute the bio-based oil to its clients who are interested in eco-friendly transformer at a special price. The product is expected to be ready for production and distribution by mid-2023. QTC is confident that this partnership reinforces the company’s commitment to conducting business and environmental sustainability.
The bio transformer oil is a project that aligns with the government’s BCG economy and measure that promote products produced by palm oil from the National Oil Palm Committee, which aims to stimulate bio transformer oil demand in Thailand. This will lead to higher demand for bio transformer oil. Furthermore, Thailand’s first commercial production of bio transformer oil will help minimize production cost of transformer for business owners who rely on overseas imports. BBGI and partners are confident that the bio transformer oil project will enhance Thailand’s competitiveness and adds value to the country’s agricultural crops, distributing wealth across communities and move forward development in sustainability.
