THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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B Grimm Power notes partnerships’ role in 5,000-megawatt goal

B Grimm Power notes partnerships’ role in 5,000-megawatt goal

B Grimm Power says it got closer towards its total output target of 5,000 megawatts by 2021 by signing a memorandum of understanding with China Energy Engineering Corporation, one of China’s biggest energy companies, in the first quarter. Under the MoU, the two companies will cooperate on renewable-energy projects, particularly solar hybrid power systems, B Grimm Power president Preeyanart Soontor

The company has also established a partnership with Poipet PPSEZ Co, the developer and operator of the Poipet Special Economic Zone in Cambodia. And most recently, the company qualified to bid on solar energy projects for government agencies and agricultural credit cooperatives this year. 

Ingredion opens Kalasin
facility in Bt1-bn investment 

Ingredion, a US-based provider of ingredients for diversified industries, yesterday announced the opening of a new facility in Kalasin province, completing an investment of approximately US$30 million (Bt1 billion).
The investment was part of the approximately $100 million of worldwide capital expenditures the company announced in September 2014.
The Kalasin plant strengthens Ingredion’s capabilities and production of its Novation functional native starches, a solution for clean-label food and beverage formulation, the company said.
The project commenced in August 2014 with more than a million man-hours involved without any injuries upon completion, the company said, adding that within two and a half years of its approval the facility has successfully produced its first batch of locally sourced Novation functional native starches. 
Ingredion operates four facilities in Thailand with more than 800 employees.
The new facility is designed to increase the company’s global manufacturing capacity, facilitate better supply control and optimise efficiency of distribution in the Asia-Pacific region. 
Jorgen Kokke, the company’s senior vice president for the Asia-Pacific region, said: “Consumer demand for clean-label foods has evolved from a trend to mainstream. It is a global movement that was developed and established in the United States and Europe that is now emerging in Asia, and this expansion will help our customers meet the growing demand for healthier, simple ingredients and wholesome foods.”

WASTE REDUCTION
Tetra Pak leads Rangsit
recycling campaign

Representatives of Tetra Pak (Thailand), Green Spot and the municipality of Rangsit signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday, World Environment Day, to promote the recycling of used beverage cartons.
They will begin with a pilot project at 20 schools and in 10 communities in Rangsit and vicinity. Tetra Pak environment manager Teera Puxsupachat said his firm and its partner organisations would conduct the “Rangsit People United on Carton Recycling to Protect the World” project throughout this month to offer a model on how to reduce waste by getting people into the habit of recycling.
The goal of the MoU is to foster strong relationships and long-term collaborations to ensure environmental sustainability, in line with Tetra Pak’s commitment to sustainable environmental management, Teera said. 
He said roadshows would be organised to teach people about responsible forest management and the effective recycling of beverage containers.
PayPal launches service
targeted at businesses

Digital payment company PayPal has announced the launch of PayPal.Me for Business.
The company described the feature as a “simple, fast, and personal way for freelancers, casual and social sellers, and business-to-business sellers to request money from anyone across the globe with a PayPal account - and get paid with a few clicks”.
It said PayPal.Me supports the growth of social commerce globally, and supports one of PayPal’s core aims of offering secure and more convenient ways for people to send and manage money online.
With PayPal.Me for Business, independent retailers and merchants will no longer need to send a manual payment request or bank account number, the company said. 
The merchants can set up their own user profiles associated with a personalised URL to receive international or cross-border commercial payments with their existing PayPal account, it said.
 “The rise of e-commerce and increased penetration of mobile devices is transforming the face and form of retail, resulting in an increase in consumers making a purchase via a social media platform,” said Somwang Luangphaiboonsri, country lead for PayPal Thailand.

CATCHING ON
Thai Union pledges support for 
plan to safeguard tuna stocks

Thai Union has committed itself to the World Economic Forum’s Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration announced in New York on Monday (Tuesday, Thailand time).
The declaration supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals which were adopted by all 193 heads of state via a UN resolution in September 2015 at a UN summit.
Forty-eight of the world’s largest businesses, including retailers and fishing companies from across the tuna supply chain, on Monday announced a commitment to stamp out illegal fishing and forced labour in the industry.
Launched on World Environment Day at the UN’s first global Ocean Conference, the Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration aims to stop illegal tuna from coming to the market. It is supported by 18 civil society organisations.
“At Thai Union, we recognise that tuna is not just a product, it’s a vital source of nourishment or employment for at least one billion people across the globe,” said Darian McBain, Thai Union’s global director for sustainable development, during a panel of seafood industry leaders hosted by the WEF. “As an industry leader, it is our responsibility to work with other stakeholders to ensure that tuna is sustainably caught, processed and brought to market.”- Last year, Thai Union announced a US$90 million (Bt3 billion) strategy to ensure 100 per cent of its branded tuna is sustainably sourced with a commitment of achieving a minimum of 75 per cent by 2020. As part of the new tuna strategy, Thai Union is investing in initiatives that will increase the supply of sustainable tuna. This includes establishing 11 new fishery improvement projects around the world. A FIP is a programme to transform a fishery, ensuring sustainable fish stocks, minimised environmental impacts, and improved management of the |fishery.

ADDING VALUE
Thaicom, Huawei, Starcor
partner for OTT broadcasting

Satellite operator Thaicom has struck a deal with Huawei Technologies (Thailand) and Starcor Media Technologies to develop an OTT (over-the-top) platform for Thailand.
Thaicom announced yesterday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the two other firms “to create value-added services for the next-generation OTT platform” for the business, education, government and telecom sectors in Thailand. 
“The companies agreed to develop content-rich OTT ecosystem services, including TV streaming and video on demand,” it said. 
The “joint OTT ecosystem” would give telecom operators the ability “to seamlessly integrate the OTT services with their products and deliver their content to multi-screen devices such as smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and notebooks”, it said.
“We are confident that the partnership with Huawei and Starcor will enable us to continue to provide the satellite capacity needed to fuel the new digital TV ecosystem,” said Thaicom chief commercial officer Patompob Suwansiri. 
“The OTT platform represents a new service for Thaicom – it will complement our existing satellite platform and carry it into the new digital era.”
Thaicom will provide satellite-network connectivity and data-centre services, Huawei the infrastructure as a service (IaaS) via cloud computing, and Starcor the OTT as a service (aaS) platform while also integrating third-party media and content-management platforms.

PURCHASE FOLLOW-UP
CTBC Bank’s leaders discuss 
action plan with LH Bank

Taiwan-based CTBC Bank’s management team visited their opposite numbers at Land and Houses Bank (LH Bank) last week to discuss the institutions’ joint action plan.
Rutt Phanijphand, LH Bank chairman of the executive directors, along with executives of the Thai bank, and James Chen, president of CTBC Bank, accompanied by the bank’s management team, met to discuss the action plan and operational process for their partnership following CTBC’s acquisition of a 35.6-per-cent stake in LH Financial Group (LHFG), the holding company of LH Bank. 
The funds for the acquisition are expected to be injected into LHFG by the end of July.
LHFG and LH Bank are seeking a new chairman to succeed Anant Asavabhokin, who resigned from his position after recently being issued with a Department of Special Investigation summons over alleged money laundering.
 

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