GPCA ’24: Thailand’s PTTGC to start SAF production in early 2025 – CEO

MUSCAT (ICIS)–Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) is expected to begin producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its refinery in Map Ta Phut early next year, the company’s CEO Narongsak Jivakanun said.

“We are commissioning, although it is on a small scale, but it is an important step – SAF [production] in Q1 next year using our existing oil refinery but blended with non-fossil fuel based raw material,” Jivakanun told ICIS on the sidelines of the 18th Annual Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals (GPCA) Forum in Muscat, Oman.

The company plans to produce 500,000 liters of SAF per month, using up to 1,700 tonnes of used cooking oil per month as feedstock.

SAF is used as a direct replacement for traditional fossil-based jet fuel to power aircraft.

Moreover, by leveraging the mass balance approach, the change in how the refinery accommodates use of alternative feedstock in the production of SAF enables it to claim a portion of its downstream aromatics, polymers, and olefins output as non-fossil chemical products, he said.

PTTGC is the first Thai company to upgrade its refinery with advanced technology to accommodate used cooking oil as feedstock.

The company’s biorefinery project is a component of the company’s three-pronged growth strategy – “Step Change, Step Out and Step Up” – which, in part, prioritizes business sustainability through decarbonization efforts, according to Jivakanun.

PTTGC is also on track to fully start up a new fully integrated polylactic acid (PLA) unit at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC) by the end of next year, he said.

The PLA project is being carried out by NatureWorks, the equal joint venture firm between the US’ Cargill and PTTGC and will use sugarcane sourced locally as feedstock.

THAI SPECIALTIES HUB AMBITIONS 
Allnex, a global specialty chemicals subsidiary of PTTGC, is currently planning to expand its specialty resins production in Map Ta Phut with an aim to develop the site to become a hub for selected coating resins serving the southeast Asia region, according to Jivakanun.

“The plan is to develop a hub in Map Ta Phut so that they can share the infrastructure that [PTT]GC already has, utilities, the engineering and operational support,” he said.

“Expertise sharing between GC and allnex will enhance potential of value engineering resulted in cost savings into the project.”

The project is in the stage of finalizing the scope with an aim to produce specialty resins that most fit customer demands and requirements

Allnex specializes in the production of industrial coating resins and additives.

“We will go through the feasibility study as usual and we aim to confirm the investment for allnex Map Ta Phut hub within next year,” Jivakanun added.

Interview article by Nurluqman Suratman