RATCH has strictly upheld and fully complied with environmental laws and relevant regulations. Aside from this, environmental management principles have been included in the Code of Conduct while management guidelines are integrated in the Company’s Environment Policy and Corporate Sustainability Development Policy’s environmental dimension. The guidelines have been communicated with all businesses under the Company’s control.

Environmental Management Process

RATCH’s core business, electricity generation, requires a large amount of resources throughout the life cycle from construction to operations, maintenance and decommissioning. In all stages, the Company puts in place an environmental management process that emphasizes maximum resource utilization and minimum environmental impacts. The objectives are to deliver eco-friendly electricity to customers, reflect the Company’s product responsibility and support the Sustainable Development Goal on sustainable consumption and production. (SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.)

Environmental Management Approach of Electricity Generation Business

Resource and energy consumption principles and targets

Fuel consumption

In 2021, the power plants over which RATCH had operational control were: Ratchaburi Power Plant, Nava Nakorn Power Plant, Berkprai Cogeneration Power Plant and RATCH Cogeneration Power Plant in Thailand; and Kemerton Power Station and Townsville Power Station in Australia. All have ably maintained their efficiency, hence keeping the utilization of resources at a reasonable level compared to output. Moreover, some power plants have invented and adjusted generating techniques that have saved fuel consumption or enhanced the efficiency of heat utilization.

Berkprai Cogeneration Power Plant changed the final filter of gas turbines, to enhance combustion efficiency and reduce heat loss that reduced the consumption of natural gas by 53 million cubic feet, which is equivalent to 43,598 million BTU of reduced heat utilization and 6,387 tCO₂e of reduced GHG emissions.

• Fuel consumption at RATCH-controlled power plants in 2019-2021
  The four RATCH-controlled power plants in Thailand (contributing 76.2% of total revenue in 2021) utilized fuel for generating electricity of 124.25 megajoules in total.
  
  In 2021, Ratchaburi Thermal Power Plant Unit 1 and 2 with 735 MW capacity each resumed operations on the National Control Center’s order, having been put under reserved shutdown since 2018 to support fuel security and the stability of domestic electricity prices. Bunker oil was specified for generation.

Note: The average heat utilization data concerns only the power plants in Thailand.

Raw water consumption

The four controlled power plants in Thailand used raw water for electricity generation activities from two major sources: Mae Klong River Basin and Chao Phraya River Basin. RATCH Group’s power plants give importance to monitor closely the water releases and raw water usage. The data is the basis for the assessment of risks relating to water shortage and conflicts with community over water as well as water stress accordingly to World Resources Institute (Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas and the Water Risk Filter). The process is crucial to prevent water shortages that may affect operations and send a chain effect on the economy and the general public, as well as to reduce impacts on communities that rely on water, particularly from the Chao Phraya River, which is classified as a basin with a high water stress level.

In 2021, the four power plants’ water withdrawal from the two river basins did not change water levels, cause shortages or spark conflict with the community over water.

Water withdrawal and power generation based on water stress levels

Water use in power generation by RATCH-controlled power plants in 2021

Water management guidelines of RATCH’s power plants in Thailand

The four RATCH-controlled power plants have put efforts in continually finding solutions that will reduce water utilization in power generation. An emphasis is placed on enhancing the efficiency of the cooling tower water treatment system to maximize water recycling.

To meet the target in reducing raw water withdrawal by 500,000 cubic meters, the power plants also reused the blow-down water in the production process.

RATCH and its power plants give importance to factors that influence the four aspects of environmental quality – air quality, water quality, waste and noise – and the management of those factors. Preventive and remedial measures are in place, in line with EIA, legal requirements and international environmental standards.

Environmental Management Approach and Process

Air quality management

The air quality management system is designed to control, reduce and eliminate pollutants from the production process in order to meet requirements and to not cause impacts on community and the environment.

All power plants have outlined risk-management measures in case the air quality control system malfunctions and pollutants rise to 80% of permissible limits. The measures are shown in the chart below:

• Results of air quality measurement at RATCH’s power plants in Thailand
  The pollutant intensity of the four power plants has been monitored continuously, and combustion pollutants have remained within permissible limits. Besides this, the air quality at stack measuring system has been tested and verified by an external examiner on an annual basis.

  Power Plant	Average concentration of pollutant emissions*
  	NOX (ppm)		SO2 (ppm)		Backup fuel
  	Natural gas	Fuel oil	Natural gas	Fuel oil
  Ratchaburi Thermal	57.98	88.92	6.33	142.99	Bunker oil
  Ratchaburi Combined Cycle	27.26	89.93	2.53	17.20	Diesel
  Target (Not exceeding legal limits)**	120	180	20	320	-
  Nava Nakorn	35.58	-	0.42	-	None
  Berkprai Cogeneration	39.25	-	3.52	-	None
  RATCH Cogeneration	27.00	-	0	-	None
  Target (Not exceeding EIA limit)	60	-	10	-	-

  Note :	* Average pollutant concentration from Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems
  	** Standards as in the notification of Ministry of Industry on the limit of air pollutants emitted by power-generating, transmission or distribution plants B.E. 2547

• Ambient air quality monitoring in communities in 2021
  Being a large-scaled power plant, Ratchaburi Power Plant installed ambient air quality monitoring systems (AAQMs) at four stations around the premises to cover wind directions in all seasons. A similar monitoring process is exercised by other power plants to cover wind directions and monitor the air quality in all seasons. The system efficiency is inspected every year. At Ratchaburi Power Plant, the efficiency and accuracy are verified by external inspectors on an annual basis.
  The monitoring showed the ambient air quality at all power plants stayed within permissible limits, and ozone only around Ratchaburi Power Plant always spikes above the limits in the dry season every year. The contaminants are found in the power plant’s upwind and downwind direction.

  Air quality monitoring stations at nearby communities	24-hour average			1-hour average
  	Total Suspended Particulate (μg/m3)	Particulate Matter smaller than 10 micron (μg/m3)	SO2 (ppb)	SO2 (ppb)	NO2 (ppb)	O3 (ppb)
  Ratchaburi Power Plant	11-142	2-115	1-4	1-19	0-46	0-149
  Nava Nakorn Power Plant	17-67	8-48	2-4	2-5	1-45	No monitoring
  RATCH Cogeneration Power Plant	21-168	12-116	1-7	1-9	1-67	No monitoring
  Berkprai Cogeneration Power Plant	28-90	13-50	2-4	1-6	1-36	10-37
  Target (Not exceeding permissible limits)	330[1]	120[1]	120[1]	300[2]	170[3]	100[4]

  Note:	μg/m3 = microgram per cubic meter
  	ppb = part per billion
  	Standards in line with the Notification of National Environment Board:
  	[1] as specified in the No.24 announcement of the National Environmental Board (B.E.2547) on ambient air quality standards
  	[2] as specified in the No.21 announcement of the National Environmental Board (B.E.2544) on 1-hour sulfur dioxide standard in ambient air
  	[3] as specified in the No.33 announcement of the National Environmental Board (B.E.2552) on Nitrogen dioxide standard in ambient air
  	[4] as specified in the No.28 announcement of the National Environmental Board (B.E.2550) on ambient air quality standards

Water Quality Management

Wastewater from power plants and an office building is treated separately. Parts of treated water are reused, for example, to water demonstration agricultural fields and trees. The rest are recycled and reused before discharge to the last water treatment pond. There, the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) are measured and the results are reported to the Department of Industrial Works through an online system, before being discharged to the natural water channels outside the power plant.

Ratchaburi Power Plant improves the quality of some treated water through the reversed osmosis filter system and reuses the water in the production process. It also checks the quality of water at the discharge point, above and below the discharge point, to ensure that discharged water will not send negative impacts on the natural water channel and that the community downstream can use water safely.

Ratchaburi Power Plant’s water quality management

For small power plant’s water quality management at Nava Nakhon Power Plant, RATCH Cogeneration Power Plant and Berkprai Cogeneration Power Plant is as follows:

Power plants’ water discharge in 2021

Results of water quality monitoring

Waste Management

Theoretically, power plants choose waste management approaches that have proved best for their waste and comply with regulatory requirements, industrial best practices and international environmental standards. The process starts with a study of approaches that utilize less resources to keep waste as low as possible. Waste will be processed or used as raw materials for the making of other products, or go to furnaces for steam production. Landfills are usually the last option. RATCH has put in place a policy demanding the Company’s power plants to set a zero landfill target, so as to reduce impact on soil, groundwater, surface water, ecosystems and all beings

Performance in 2021

The volume of waste from the four power plants and management methods are as follows:

Utilization of Ratchaburi Power Plant’s used gypsum

Ratchaburi Power Plant continually utilized gypsum, a by-product from desulfurization stored at the gypsum pond. In cooperation with Siam Gypsum Industry (Songkhla) Company Limited and Knauf Gypsum (Thailand) Company Limited, the power plant manufactured gypsum boards from the gypsum and delivered the gypsum boards to communities around the power plant. In 2021, 4,946 tons of gypsum was used.

Noise Management

Noise generated by power generation may have a significant impact on operators, communities and all beings in the vicinity. Power plants’ design thus includes a noise prevention system, and there are measures to reduce noise from the following three factors:

RATCH’s criteria for the development or joint investment in power generation or related businesses require a comprehensive assessment of project risks and impacts on the environment and ecosystems. RATCH vows to reject the development or joint investment in projects located close to World Heritage Sites, historical sites or areas that constitute high risks to endangered species, local animal breeds or the species enlisted in IUCN Red List.

Biodiversity Management Approach

RATCH demands the group’s power plants outline measures to prevent and reduce impacts on the environment and ecosystems and thoroughly follow the environmental quality/ecosystem impact monitoring system. The measures call for the seasonal monitoring of the quantity and density of population as well as similarities on an annual basis.

The Company Group controls eight power plants: four in Thailand and four in Australia. The eight power plants span through a total area of 150,106 rai or 24,017 hectares. The following is the assessment of impacts on biodiversity as well as preventive, surveillance and monitoring measures:

Assessment of impacts on power plants’ biodiversity

Biodiversity survey results in 2021