Page 42 - SD RATCH EN

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Sustainability Report 2020
RATCH Group PCL.
2. Development of green businesses, technology and innovation
Industrial wood pellet business
Location: Champasak Province, Lao PDR
• Capacity: 80,000 tons per year from the plantation of fast-growing trees on 20,000-rai area for distribution to industrial customers in Japan and South Korea
• Plant construction starting in 2021 for manufacturing and distribution in 2022
• Wood and wood products to be certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to guarantee that the forest is being managed with internationally acceptable forest management standard concerning social, economic and environmental benefits.
Location: Ta Oy City, Samouey City, Salavan Province, Lao PDR
• Feasibility study on the plantation of
industrial, fast-growing trees like acacia for wood pellet manufacturing
Technology and innovation
Fiber optic project
• Establish a joint venture, Smart infranet Company Limited, in which RATCH owns a 51% stake
• Offer fiber optic rental service, with 5,062-km network along railroads and highways across country and network along MEA underground cable system covering Sukhumvit, Phaholyothin-Pradipat and Phayathai roads
• Negotiate on a joint venture with PEA ENCOM, to expand fiber optic networks on PEA’s transmission lines
• Sign a cooperation pact with EGAT, to expand networks via EGAT’s high-voltage transmission lines across the country
District 9 Project: Digital industrial zones and smart communities
• To build smart industrial city in
Thammasat University and Nava Nakorn Industrial Promotion Zone, Pathum Thani Province, with emphasis on 7 aspects; Smart Environment, Smart Governance, Smart Mobility, Smart Energy, Smart Economy, Smart Living, Smart People
• Collaborated effort of RATCH, Nava Nakorn Company Limited (NNCL), ALT Telecom Public Company Limited (ALT) and Thammasat University together with Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design
• Consideration investment in Smart Energy and Smart Living to complement RATCH’s electricity generation and telecom network businesses
Nouveau energy innovations
• A 30:40:30 joint venture of RATCH, EGAT and Electricity Generating Public Company Limited
• Emphasize innovations concerning electric cars, charging stations, artificial intelligence (AI) technology for checking energy loss in transmission grid, smart grid and electric power trading platforms
• Under process to win approval for joint venture establishment
3. Fund mobilizing for environmental conservation projects
To drive renewable energy development towards targets, RATCH puts in place the Sustainable Financing Approach and the Green Financing Framework. In 2020, RATCH launched its first green bond issue worth Baht 8,000 million, to finance renewable energy and clean transport systems. The bonds, with average maturity of 11 years and 2.45 percent average coupon rate, were offered to institutional and high-networth investors. TRIS Rating assigned “AAA” rating for the bond issue, with “Stable” outlook.