PTT unveils wide-ranging EV ecosystem plan to push for low-carbon society

The plan was unveiled by PTT CEO Auttapol Rerkpiboon on Tuesday. The CEO said the EV ecosystem plan would support the government’s policy to make Thailand a low-carbon society.

He said the EV ecosystem plan would define new businesses of the PTT group that would focus on investments in alternative clean energy during the transition of internal combustion engines to battery-powered vehicles.

As part of the plan, Arun Plus, a subsidiary of PTT, has joined hands with Taiwan’s Foxconn to set up Horizon Plus Co Ltd for an EV manufacturing business called EV Value Chain.

Auttapol said Horizontal Plus would build its factory on a plot of 300-rai (48 hectares) of land in the Eastern Economic Corridor in the third quarter of this year.

As part of the EV ecosystem, PTT Oil and Retail Business Co Ltd will focus on the mobility and lifestyle of a low-carbon society by building up to 450 EV-charging stations within this year.

Auttapol said the charging stations would be installed at PTT petrol stations.

The EV ecosystem would also promote people’s familiarity with EVs by renting electric vehicles of various brands via the EVme app. Currently, the app provides 200 EVs of Tesla Model 3 Long Range, MG EP and Nissan Leaf models for renting.

Auttapol said about 90 per cent of the 200 EVs were always rented, so PTT would increase the rented fleet by 500 more vehicles within this year.

He said Global Power Synergy Plc, which is under PTT, has a goal to generate 8,000 megawatts of electricity from alternative sources, such as wind and solar energy, within 2030.

He said Global Power Synergy would also make batteries and power-supply devices for charging EVs.

To support the government’s low carbon emission goal, PTT has planned a carbon capture and storage pilot project at its Arthit Gas and Condensate Field in the Gulf of Thailand, Auttapol said.

He added that PTT would be the first refinery firm in Thailand to use advanced technology to capture and store carbon and the project would help reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by a million tonne per year. The project is now in the feasibility study process and it is expected to be implemented in 2027.

Auttapol said PTT is also experimenting with the use of hydrogen by-product from a refinery to power electricity-generating turbines to reduce carbon emissions.

He said PTT has also set up the PTT Group Net Zero Task Force, or G-Net, with representatives from six flagship companies of the group. The task force will help PTT achieve its carbon neutrality goal by 2040 and net zero emission by 2050, Auttapol said.