The project ‘Centre for Knowledge Transfer and Prototypes of Compressed Biomethane Gas (CBG) Production System’ by CMU Energy Research and Development Institute of Nakornping (ERDI) won at the Thailand Energy Award 2023 in the Renewable Energy, Biofuel category and will be among the Thai representatives at the ASEAN Energy Awards 2023. In this edition, of 208 participants, 68 projects were rewarded.

The Centre for Knowledge Transfer and Prototypes of CBG Production System is ERDI’s initiative in partnership with PTT and CPP to turn wastewater into CBG that is suitable for use in areas far away from natural gas pipelines. The obtained CBG’s quality is comparable to NGV according to the Department of Energy Business Announcement, thus providing consumers with a clean alternative to gasoline.

The centre’s operation in Bang Saphan Noi district, Prachuap Khiri Khan, has begun since 2020, distributing over 3.3 million kg of CBG, generating 51.5-million-baht worth of income for farmers and local communities, as well as creating jobs and reducing greenhouse gases by over 50.2 thousand CO2-equivalent tonnes. Moreover, CMU will act as the national centre in the technological transfer to factories that wish to turn the produced wastewater into renewable energy.

The Thailand Energy Awards 2023 was held by Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE), Ministry of Energy, to recognize those who voluntarily make contribution to energy conservation and renewable energy development, leading to exemplary success in energy that evokes learning and exchange among interested parties, as well as participation of related workforce in all levels.

The ASEAN Energy Awards 2023 The competition is divided into five categories: Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation, Creative Energy, Personnel and Promotion of Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy. The judging panels included experts and scholars from educational institutions, representatives from organizations or professional associations, and DEDE representatives. The recipients will go on to represent Thailand at the ASEAN Energy Awards 2023.

CMU, as a leading university committed to social responsibility and sustainable development through innovation, strives to support research and teaching to become a centre for knowledge transfer in various disciplines for Thailand’s social and economic growth.