9-11 June 2014
Bangkok

From 9-11 June 2014, the Project Development Programme (PDP) in cooperation with the GTCC organized the 1st German Biogas Training Days in Bangkok.

Over the course of the three days, German biogas industry experts such as the German Biogas Association and well-known private companies as well as Thai experts from the Department of Industrial Works (DIW) or the Energy Research Institute of Chiang Mai University shared their knowledge and discussed the way forward for Thailand.

The first day focused entirely on sharing experiences in regard to risk management and safety of biogas plants. The presentations by German and Thai experts triggered lively discussions on how Thailand can ensure that a safe and qualitative industry development will take place. Thai decision-makers from DIW and DEDE expressed a great interest in intensifying the exchange of experiences on safety rules and standards with other countries such as Germany.

In the evening, participants had the chance to continue their discussions at the Networking Reception hosted by the GTCC.

On day 2, experts from private German companies shared their knowledge on high-quality system planning, the use and maintenance of components such as feeding equipment as well as biogas upgrading. The topic of upgrading triggered particular attention, since the adapted targets of the Thai government also include that 1,200 tons of Compressed Biogas (CBG) shall be produced daily within the next 8 years.

Plant automation and instrumentation were the main topics of day 3, and participants learned in hands-on working groups how to increase plant profitability through correct monitoring and gas analysis.

About 50 representatives from Thai companies from sectors with high biogas potential such as the palm oil, cassava, starch and sugar industries, or chicken farms as well as decision-makers from the public sector responsible for biogas market development or the supervision of pilot projects participated in the training.

Although the training was primarily targeted towards Thai stakeholders, biogas industry players from the entire region such as Malaysia, Viet Nam or the Philippines signed up for the training and took the chance to exchange experiences with the German experts as well as their neighbors.

The planning and implementation of this workshop was supported by the Department of Alternative Energy and Efficiency (DEDE). GIZ also took the chance and invited selected participants from DEDE, EPPO, DIW and Thai research institutions to a closed policy discussion on Tuesday in order to discuss how Germany implements safety standards and instruments available to monitor biogas plant performance.

The event thus not only helped to enhance the capacities of Thai companies and industry players but also constituted another stepping stone to ensure that Thailand succeeds in achieving its biogas targets safely and sustainably.

Presentation information available upon request.