|
(Last updated: 10 Sept 2008)
Trends and opportunities
The market
Thailand’s market for environmental technology, with an estimated value of A$3 billion per year, has been lucrative for Australian environmental technology firms. It is expected that the industry will grow at 5–10 per cent per annum.
Factors driving the growth of environmental technology markets include:
- Poulation growth
- Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation
- Increasing public awareness
- Enforcement of regulations
- Strengthened legislation
- Privatisation policy
Expansion of the environmental industry relies on the technology and expertise of foreign products and services. Locally made products meet general standards for environmental needs, but specialised products must be imported. About 70 to 80 per cent of environmental equipment is imported each year.
Opportunities
The need to solve environmental problems is still a key priority for the Thai Government and the government is enthusiastic about privatising as many projects as possible.
Publicly funded, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects drive opportunities with an emphasis on build, own, operate (BOO) and build, operate, transfer (BOT) projects. Accelerated privatisation projects will present long-term commercial opportunities for the sector.
The Thai environmental technology sector’s high priority needs include:
- Water/wastewater:
- Privatisation projects, which will create opportunities in engineering, management consultants, contractors, and operators with build, own, operate (BOO) and build, operate, transfer (BOT) concessions
- Pumps (submersible, centrifugal, aerator/mixer, dosing and vacuum), sludge dewatering equipment (filter presses, belt press, small dewatering systems) and screening machines (bar screens, shredding screens)
- Groundwater, water resources management
- Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant management and operations
- Consultants and contractors, operators, equipment manufacturers and financiers in supply, maintenance and operational training
- Solid waste:
- Municipal solid waste management
- Waste handling equipment
- Recycle technology (including biomass)
- Sorting equipment
- Landfill equipment
- Incinerators
- Biological waste treatment
- Hazardous waste treatment
- Medical waste management
- Solid waste management system and clean technology
- Air/emissions management:
- Urban emissions management
- Industrial emissions management
- Air monitoring equipment
- Industrial continuous-emission monitoring equipment
- Indoor air pollution control equipment\
- Vehicle emission monitoring systems
- Odour control
- Energy:
- Renewable energy
- Biogas, biofuels, biomass
- Energy efficiency
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is:
- Supporting private sector participation in the management and operation of 8000 tonnes of municipal waste per day in the Bangkok area
- Implementing five central wastewater treatment plants, which have the capacity for 842,000 cubic metres per day and covering an area of 158.34 square kilometres
- Intending to privatise all future wastewater treatment projects (cover an area of 199.7 cubic kilometres) in terms of investment, and operation and maintenance
The Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) is:
- Promoting the use of natural gas as an alternative fuel in transport
- Implementing a A$105 million five-year plan to establish 30 natural gas service stations and to promote the expansion of natural gas consumption in the industrial sector around Bangkok and its suburbs.
The provision of environmental consulting services and air pollution control equipment remains an ongoing opportunity.
Competitive environment
Public agencies, such as the Public Works Department (PWD), local administrations and municipalities tend to let contracts to Thai-based consultancies and contractors. Serious competition is not always practised and local political and bureaucratic figures may be extremely influential in decision-making processes.
Other public agencies such as BMA, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), and the Industrial Estates Authority of Thailand (IEAT) are becoming increasingly reliant on international contractors and consultants that are amenable to forming partnerships with Thai companies, while bringing competitive skills and expertise to clients.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), which includes the Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (OEPP), the Wastewater Management Authority (WMA) and the Pollution Control Department (PCD), is the key agency for environmental projects, providing finance, regulations, research and direction.
Executing agencies, such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), implement and manage projects.
Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) and the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) have invited the private sector to participate in several build, own, operate (BOO) and build, operate, transfer (BOT) projects, to cope with the rapidly growing demands for water supply. PWA is implementing five BOT and three BOO water supply privatisation projects worth an average A$50–80 million each.
|