Biogas technology used for ridding Thailand’s water pollution

BANGKOK, October 23 (TNA) - Ten rubber cooperative groups in Thailand are in agreement to produce over 100,000 cubic metres of biogas annually, with the aim of ridding organic water pollution resulting from the production of some 5,000 tonnes of smoked rubber sheets every year. Samerjai Suksumek, an inspector at the Energy Ministry, said the idea of producing biogas was made by the Ministry’s Energy Policy and Planning Office, which offered some 13 million baht in research funding to Prince of Songkla University to experiment curbing waste water with biogas. Presently, Thailand is the number one exporter of natural rubber and about 90 percent of the exports are processed rubber. However, a large amount of organic water pollution is known to be emitted during the production of smoked rubber sheets. Official data had suggested of some 400 factories producing smoked rubber sheets throughout the Kingdom -- boasting a combined production capacity of up to 300,000 tonnes of smoked rubber sheets a year -- impact on the environment had included as much as 1.2 million cubic metres of water pollution every year.