Our Company
A.T. Biopower is a biomass power plant located in Phichit province, in central Thailand. It was conceived, designed, and implemented, in support of the vision of the Ministry of Energy of Thailand, to increase the use of renewable energy and reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel.
Located in the heart of rice country, and surrounded by paddy fields, A.T. Biopower uses rice husk (waste from farms and rice mills) as fuel.
The power plant is of unique design, with suspension boiler, delivering high efficiency and quality ash, a key consideration to help future-proof the operation and minimize the environmental impact.
Nearly 6 years following incorporation of the Company, and after almost 2 years of construction, the power plant was successfully commissioned in 2005, with COD (Commercial Operating Date) officially declared on 21 December, 2005.
A.T. Biopower sells electricity (20MW) to Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (“EGAT”) under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (“PPA”).
Since commissioning, A.T. Biopower has partnered with Japan’s largest power generating company, JERA, with operational support provided to the power plant under an Operation & Maintenance Management Agreement. Our vision at the outset was to nurture local talent and this has been the case, with significant entrenched knowledge accumulated over the years, through training, development and career progression opportunities afforded to our staff.
The power plant was designed to be fueled by agricultural waste (rice husk) that would otherwise be burned in the open air or left to decay. It stands on a 34-hectare site, of which approximately half is utilized for buildings, equipment and storage facilities, the balance a buffer zone and green space.
The power plant operates using suspension-fired boilers, designed to burn ground rice husk (i.e., rice husk reduced to a smaller size, in this case less than 2mm, by grinders) in suspension. This technology was adopted due to its efficiency and its ability to produce a high-quality ash product, which has many (and ever growing) uses, driven in part by a heightened focus by suppliers on the sustainability of their value chains.
This early design decision can eliminate the environmental issue of ash disposal, whilst at the same time, can serve to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated by end-users, such as the cement industry, and displace carbon intensive alternatives such as sand.
As the first to use this technology in Thailand, A.T. Biopower is an important case study of technology transfer, with other biomass power plants in Thailand hitherto having used more conventional combustion technology, such as a stoker boiler.
Further underlining its green credentials, the power plant was designed with a zero-discharge philosophy, which means there is no wastewater discharge from the power plant into the environment under any circumstances. To achieve this zero-discharge, all wastewater of the power plant is directed into an evaporation pond, for either re-use within the power plant or evaporation into the air.
Strong & Enduring Partnerships
The power plant was built for the long-term, in concept, design, and build quality. The fact that, many years on, efficiency is at, or above, the levels achieved when the power plant was first commissioned is testament to this and A.T. Biopower’s commitment to continuous improvement.
Key plant design and technology providers include, amongst others, Carter Day International Inc. (grinder), McBurney Corp. (boiler), Poyry Energy Limited (EPC), Shin Nippon Machinery Co, Ltd. (SNM) (turbine), and Yokogawa (control systems).
In operation, A.T. Biopower has forged many deep, trusted, and enduring relationships, including with suppliers of rice husk, off-takers of ash, vendors of parts and equipment, maintenance and service providers, as well as with agencies and others in the local community.
As a centre of knowledge for what was at the time a nascent sector, we are pleased to have seen the renewable sector grow and our partners flourish alongside us.
Path Leader For The Circular Economy
At the time the power plant was commissioned, more than 90% of the electricity generated in Thailand was from sources reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. Whilst the needle has since moved, with the figure now estimated to be closer to 80%, there is much further it can go and A.T. Biopower, as a path leader, has demonstrated the benefits and potential of a more cleaner and circular model.
A.T. Biopower is pleased to be working with others, including with ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission), agencies of the Ministry of Energy of Thailand, and universities, to develop frameworks, policy, and sustainability indicators, to help drive the clean energy transition in Thailand.
As a forerunner of the Bio-Circular-Green (“BCG”) concept that Thailand introduced into the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) conversation in February 2022, A.T. Biopower is well positioned to help shape an energy model that to support more sustainable and inclusive growth.
