Ajinomoto drives its “Kamphaeng Phet Factory” as a greenest factory model for sustainable environment through eco-friendly management to become a low-carbon business
Ajinomoto gears up a strategy to reduce global warming by investing a budget worth 1,500 million baht in the construction of the "Biomass Cogeneration Power Plant", aiming to produce electricity from alternative and renewable energy sources to reduce the use of electricity from energy sources that cause environmental impacts.
To respond to the Group’s commitment in 2030 to reducing our environmental impact by 50% and to becoming "Carbon Neutrality" with an effort to achieve Net-zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050, the Kamphaeng Phet Factory, a huge production base of AJI-NO-MOTO® MSG and AJITIDE I+G® products, was piloted as an exemplary "Greenest Factory" of the Ajinomoto Group of companies in Thailand.
The official opening ceremony of the "Biomass Cogeneration Power Plant" was recently held and presided over by Mr Ichiro Sakakura, President of Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd., honorably attended by Mr Chawalit Sang-uthai, Provincial Governor of Kamphaeng Phet, together with Dr Orathai Pongruktham, Technical Advisor of Thailand Environment Institute and Secretariat of Thailand Business Council for Sustainable Development (TBCSD), Mr Rongphet Bunchuaidee, Deputy Executive Director, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public Organization), and a group of media to visit Ajinomoto’s greenest factory in Kamphaeng Phet Province.
Mr Ichiro Sakakura said that "the Ajinomoto Group is striving to work for climate resilience by conducting business in line with the Bio-Circular-Green Economy concept to reduce environmental impacts, starting from the procurement of raw materials, the production of products, as well as the development of eco-friendly technology, including actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, alternative or renewable energy usage, waste management, and efficient use of water resources. In 2001, the company established FD Green (Thailand) Co., Ltd as the first "Green Business Model" of the Group of Companies in Thailand to manage the "Co-products" derived from the MSG production, which were developed into many agricultural products. The company also continuously invested in developing advanced technologies to support CO2 emission reduction, such as implementing "biomass boiler technology" that uses rice husks as the biomass fuel to generate the steam for the production process, which helps reduce the fuel oil usage, installing a "solar rooftop" inside the factory, etc., resulting in lower CO2 emissions of approximately 130,000 tons a year. In addition, the company has invested a budget worth 1,500 million baht to construct the "Biomass Cogeneration Power Plant", a project that follows the Clean Development Mechanism with a capacity of 9.9 MW that has already started producing electricity since last August. This will additionally support reducing CO2 emissions by 50,000 tons a year, which enables us a reduction of CO2 emissions by 180,000 tons in total per a year, or the equivalent of carbon dioxide absorption by over 20 million trees.”
Mr Takumi Kazarimoto, Vice President of Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd. added that “the operation of this Biomass Cogeneration Power Plant allows us additionally reduce greenhouse gas emission by 40% compared to year 2018. Besides, every Ajinomoto’s factory and business establishment also strictly adhere to the policies and practices on environmental conservation, such as maximizing the use of resources in accordance with the 3R principle (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), including the management of waste and waste water treatment by using modern technology, which results in a higher quality outcome than the standard required by law. The Ajinomoto Group aims to become a "solution-providing group of companies for food and health issues" by working to reduce environmental impacts by following "The Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value (ASV)" as a conceptual framework for the Ajinomoto Group's work worldwide.”
Dr Orathai Pongruktham, Technical Advisor of Thailand Environment Institute and Secretariat of Thailand Business Council for Sustainable (TBCSD) stated that "TBCSD was established by the collaboration of organizations that are leaders in sustainable development. Ajinomoto became a list member in 2021 and has been driving its business along with social responsibility. This Biomass Cogeneration Power Plant will be one of the key factors to support the national agenda in line with the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG model) that will lead Thailand towards sustainability goals.”
Regarding all efforts, the factory has received many outstanding awards. For example, in 2008, Thailand's Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public Organization) certified that the biomass project from using the rice husks in replacement of fuel oil can lower carbon dioxide emissions significantly. The factory has also earned the award of ISO14001 for quality environmental management, including the Green Industry Award Level 4 and many other environmental awards. Mr. Sakakura also stated that the factory is committed to operating the business in compliance with laws & regulations and environmental care within the community, following our intention that "Ajinomoto always grows with Thais."
