Thailand’s CCS Technology Roadmap: Successive Technologies in Support of National Targets on Carbon Neutrality and Net-Zero Emissions

Since COP26, Thailand has pledged to become carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065, of which the country has updated its nationally determined contribution (NDC) and the state entity, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, has formulated the Long-term Low Greenhouse Gases Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) to enhancing the NDC and achieving these targets. One of key measures introduced in the LT-LEDS to eliminate the greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), is the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Despite a great CCS contribution anticipated in the above strategy, Thailand has yet no plan for such a large-scale technology to follow while private sectors who soon to be inevitably involved and in-need are left in doubt. To facilitate the CCS technology development in Thailand timely and properly, CCS technology roadmap is not an option to identify appropriate technologies to be deployed consecutively at a proper time in support of their anticipated applications and the subsequent targets. Since March 2023, Thailand’s science, research, and innovation system has together worked on the first country’s CCS technology roadmap, commissioned by Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) and led by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) with other academic institutions and private industries heavily involved. With one focus group, a few in-depth interviews, two workshops, and a public hearing, the CCS technology roadmap has consolidated and concluded in December 2023, which is a focus of the current work. The roadmap sets quantitative CO2 storage targets for the next three decades in line with the LT-LEDS, anticipating to geological store about 1 – 10 Mtpa by 2023, 10 – 50 Mtpa by 2040, and 50 – 150 Mtpa by 2050. Henceforth, CCS technologies and resulted applications are drawn out accordingly. Considering the first decade (by 2030), existing or soon-to-be-retrofitted technologies are prioritized owing to an industrial familiarity and potential financial affordability. CO2 capture by membranes existing in natural gas processing industry is selected, while pipeline and high-pressure compression are needed with expected storage resources of well-characterized depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs. At least one pilot project is to be operated. Additional storage resources also need further survey with following source-sink matching to scaling up the CCS capability in this decade. Second decade (by 2040) will focus on CCS hub and large-scale pilot or demonstration plants. Both onshore and offshore storage sites are anticipated. Capture technologies will be diverse in this decade as well as transport options, while storage part needs more investigations on dedicated saline formations and well-defined approaches of measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) technology. An aim of this decade is capability to reduce full-chain CCS cost (with majority paid to capture part) and formulate Thailand carbon market with CCS hub for all industries (e.g., cement plant) in addition to oil and gas industry, hence more than 10 Mtpa should be achievable. With main full-chain CCS technologies developed toward maturity, scaling up is a focus in the third decade (by 2050). With CCS cost reduction and widely implemented, more than 50 Mtpa or even up to 100 Mtpa is anticipated in the end of this decade. To induce and incubate such a roadmap, necessary enablers and drivers are also in need and will be presenting as well. These will highlight CCS infrastructure and driving mechanisms, such as, laws and regulations, supporting infrastructure, financial schemes and incentives, public awareness. Manpower in both academia and industry will also be discussed of which any specific disciplines should be prioritized while others rather need re-skilled or up-skilled. Given a three-decade long roadmap, both technology and policy could alter over time. The proposed roadmap will be checked up and reviewed at a proper period, ensuring practicality and achievability, with main gold to support the country’s NDC at large.