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The Energy Ministry has reduced the production target for special biofuels to 3 million litres per day by 2021 from the previous 25 million litres because of the high cost of producing them commercially, Amnuay Thongsathitya, head of the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, said.

These fuels include biodiesel produced from weeds and cellulose-based products. 

The reduction coincides with the increased target for non-fossil-fuel energy sources to 13.9 gigawatts from 9.2GW under the revised Alternative Energy Development Plan (2012-21), recently approved by the National Energy Policy Council. 

The council has maintained the target of ethanol production at 9 million litres per day and biodiesel at 6 million litres per day by 2021.

 

QTC aims for 10 per cent of transformer jobs

QTC Energy, a transformer producer listed on the Market for Alternative Investment, expects to win no less than 10 per cent of the jobs worth more than Bt3 billion from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and private companies.

Poonphiphat Tantanasin, chief executive officer and managing director, said that if it can secure the projects, its backlog in the second half would increase by between Bt100 million and Bt200 million from the existing backlog of Bt255 million.

The company is also aiming to expand to overseas markets such as the Middle East, Africa and Asean, where the economies are growing. The company has mechanised to increase productivity. By 2017, production capacity will be expanded by no less than 50 per cent, it says. At present, more than 20 per cent of its revenue is from overseas. 

 

Ex-managing director of Microsoft joins True Corp

True Corp will appoint Birathon Kasemsri na Ayudhaya, former managing director of Microsoft (Thailand), as its managing director in charge of interactive content, effective August 1, according to a True source.

 

Tata enters Australia

Tata Motors, India’s largest automotive player and the world’s fourth-largest truck and bus manufacturer, has announced its entry to Australia under a new independent distributor, M/s Fusion Automotive Pty Ltd Australia. The latter will exclusively market and distribute the Tata Motors brand in that country.

Through Fusion Automotive, Tata Motors will introduce a range of light commercial vehicles, in both two- and four-wheel drive and single- and crew-cab variants, with Euro V turbo diesel engines. Fusion Automotive plans to appoint dealers across Australia, aiming for about 13 by the end of the year. There are further plans that it will expand the network to about 25 dealers across the states of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia over the next 12 months.