Desalination plant to ease drought in industrial zones, EEC
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) plans to set up a seawater desalination plant to produce fresh water for factories in all industrial zones, said IEAT governor Somchint Pilouk.
She added that the IEAT will set up a subsidiary to launch a joint venture with a private company for this project.
The aim is to ensure adequate supplies of water to factories regardless of weather conditions.
She said that some major businesses in the Map Ta Phut industrial zone already have their own desalination plants, but the IEAT plant will serve all factories in all industrial zones.
The plant will be able to process 300,000 cubic metres of water per day, expanded from the previous plan for 30,000 cubic metres daily.
The IEAT will talk with factories in the zones before setting its price for water.
Somchint added that though the price might be high, the water would only be used for short periods of drought. In normal periods, factories could continue to use regular sources, meaning their average long-term water costs would not surge.
Industrial zones in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) are expected to use 264 million cubic metres of water in 2025, up from the estimated 239 cubic metres this year.
She said that Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan has asked related state agencies to tackle the drought in the EEC and asked the IEAT to seek new supplies for EEC factories without using water from the farm sector.
