BOI tax privilege awaited

Global Steel Dust expects its planned Waelz-kiln steel-dust recycling plant in Thailand to receive tax privileges from the Board of Investment (BOI) soon.

Chief executive officer Russ Robinson said Global Steel Dust (Thailand) applied for BOI tax support last June and had expected to be granted the privileges by September.

He learned that the BOI would hold a board meeting on February 28, when he hoped the state agency would grant tax support for the project. If approved, plant construction will begin next month. The company plans to test the plant operation in the fourth quarter of this year and run it at full capacity early next year. 

He said there were 15 dust-recycling plants around the world, including the one planned in Thailand by the company. The delay in approving the project is because the BOI has set up a working committee to study the Waelz-kiln technology, as it is a new thing in Thailand. He added that the delay in the project being given approval has hiked the cost to US$40 million (Bt1.2 billion) from the original $30 million. 

The company plans to set up the plant in Amata City Industrial Park on the Eastern Seaboard. It will have recycling capacity of 110,000 tonnes per year and produce up to 400,000 tonnes of Waelz zinc oxide per year. Padaeng Industry will be its customer.