Thailand’s largest cement maker Siam Cement Group (SCG) plans to introduce a new product that reduces carbon dioxide emissions during production by half compared to conventional cement, as reported by Nikkei Asia on September 17. This is part of SCG’s plan to achieve a more sustainable business model by investing THB70bn (USD1.9bn) by 2030 in low-emission and other products with reduced climate impact. According to SCG Executive Vice President Thammasak Sethaudom, introducing next-generation cement that diminishes carbon emissions is crucial to the company’s decarbonization. Thammasak also called on the government to accommodate the low-emission cement in new construction standards.

The Thai government is advocating for a Bio-Circular-Green Economic Model to create sustainable industries. The cement industry is facing mounting environmental pressure to decrease its massive power consumption and carbon emissions. In response, SCG vowed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Aside from developing low-emission cement, the group has also branched out in the renewable energy and recycling business to expand its green practices. SCG Chemicals and SCG Packaging, two of SCG’s subsidiaries, successively purchased Portugal’s largest plastic recycling company Sirplaste and Dutch package material recycling firm Peute Recycling through deals in April and July this year, with the total value of the two transactions reaching THB362.5bn (USD10.1bn). In April, the Thai enterprise also formed a partnership with Huawei Technologies to develop efficient rooftop photovoltaic systems, using Huawei’s storage batteries.

Sources:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Environment/Climate-Change/Siam-Cement-plans-building-material-with-50-less-CO2-emissions-by-2030

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2022/08/28/siam-cement-speeds-up-green-transition-with-recycling-energy-deals/pyfhdbns