Wood Pellet Siam Co Ltd (WPS) gains JIA certification for rubberwood pellets as a biomass fuel in Japan. Plans for 30 000 tonne per month capacity pellet plant in Thailand.
A recent Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report, published by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), has revealed that Wood Pellet Siam Co Ltd (WPS) in Thailand, a subsidiary of renewable energy projects developer Impact Electron, has gained Japan Gas Appliances Inspection Association (JIA) certification for its rubberwood pellets as a biomass fuel. This means that WPS pellets are an eligible woody biomass fuel for Japanese power generators qualified under feed-in tariff (FIT) system. Currently there are more than 750 fuel suppliers with JIA certification in Japan but WPS is the first overseas supplier with the certificate.
WSP currently sources around 2 5oo tonnes of rubberwood pellets from producers in Thailand for export to Japan. The pellets are made using residues from rubberwood furniture manufacturing. WPS also plans to build its own rubberwood pellet plant and the first phase, with a monthly capacity of 10 000 tonnes, is expected to be completed in 2017. The plan is to increase capacity threefold to 30 000 tonnes per month over a three year period.
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