Canon's green projects boost Thai tea industry, clean energy
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Company's Thailand unit sets up hybrid power system in Chiang Mai
Atop a mountain in the northern province of Chiang Mai, a hybrid alternative-energy system is generating power for the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang’s new tea-processing plant under a Canon Thailand initiative.
“Not only will it lower our electricity costs but it will also reduce greenhouse gases,” said the station’s senior official, Montri Yanont.
The station had been spending about Bt300,000 a month on electricity before the new plant, located at Ban Nor Lae, started operation.
“We handle 29 tonnes of tea leaves each year,” Montri said, adding that tea farmers were mostly hilltribe people.
Working with wind turbines and solar cells, the alternative-energy system promises to lower the station’s annual electricity bill by Bt22,192 and carbon-dioxide emissions by 4 tonnes a year.
“This hybrid wind-solar energy set is a part of Canon’s Clean Energy for the Green World project,” said Alan Chng, president and chief executive of Canon Marketing (Thailand) Co.
He headed to Chiang Mai recently to attend the ceremony to hand over the clean-energy set, which comprises two 1-kilowatt wind turbines and 2KW solar panels, to the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang. Royal Project Foundation chairman Mom Chao Bhisadej Rajani represented the station at the ceremony.
Located in Chiang Mai’s Fang district, the station aims to produce 3,500 kilograms of fresh tea leaves and 700kg of dried tea leaves per week. The Royal Project’s high-quality tea products are famous in both Asia and Europe. Their overseas markets include Japan, France and Germany.
“Tea is considered a significant cash crop … If Thailand can produce more high-quality tea, this will not just bring more revenue to the country but will also provide more income to local farmers, creating sustainable development of the community,” Chng said.
He said the efforts were in line with Canon’s Kyosei corporate philosophy, which encourages the society to live and work together for the common good into the future.
Launched in 2008, the Clean Energy for Green World project has installed wind turbines at 38 rural schools throughout Thailand. In addition, it has set up two hybrid wind-solar energy systems at two Royal Agricultural Stations. The other station is the Royal Agricultural Station Inthanon, also in Chiang Mai.
Last year alone, this green project installed wind turbines at two rural schools, one in Phetchabun and the other in Trang. The installation of the alternative-energy system at the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang is another task completed last year.
Canon Thailand says that through the project, it has been reducing carbon-dioxide emissions by about 51 tonnes annually because its 40 wind turbines and hybrid wind-solar energy systems have generated a total of 68,036 megawatts over the period.
“Since 2008, we have spent Bt130 million on the Clean Energy for Green World project,” Chng said.
He explained that after the installation of the equipment for clean-energy production, his firm had continued to provide maintenance to ensure the facilities continued to operate.
Chng disclosed that Canon Thailand had not yet decided whether it would continue promoting wind energy this year.
“Perhaps we will launch some new initiatives,” he said.
