I
n the last decade, energy demand in Thailand has
increased rapidly as a result of economic expansion
andpopulationgrowth. Inacountrywhereagriculture
remains the primary source of income and the land is
richly endowed with natural resources, biomass is a
promisingoption for renewableenergy. The key sources
of biomass in Thailand are sugar cane, rice and wood
wastes, so that agro-industry is the business that more
thanothers canhelpmeet domestic energyneedswhile
providing substantial environmental benefits.
NewHollandAgriculture through itsCleanEnergyLeader
strategy is helping farmers around the world to unlock
the considerable energy potential that can be found on
farms. Thebrand’scommitment to renewableenergyhas
been recognized by numerous pioneering initiatives on
farming technology for biomass, such as the Cane Trash
Baling project developed in Thailand just a fewmonths
ago.
The ongoing project, based in the northern region of
the country is driven by local sugar manufacturer KTIS
Groups’ focus on the re-utilization of sugar cane trash
for combustion fromagricultural residues. Existing sugar
canemills inThailandcurrentlygenerateelectricalpower
withbagasse, thefibrousresidue leftoveraftermillingthe
cane. However, withgrowing rural demandof electricity
and mills’ growing requirement for additional sugar
cane relatedproducts, sugarmills arebeingencouraged
to producemore from existing generation and even to
sell to the national grid. Bagasse alone is not sufficient
togenerate thismuchelectricity, and cogenerationwith
cane trashandbagasse is anattractive solution that has
the potential of becoming one of the most successful
NewHollandBigBaler:
a leadingrole inCaneTrashproject inThailand
renewableenergyoption for the future.
The Cane Trash Baling project used four New Holland
T7060 tractors pulling BigBaler 1270 units to bale the
sugar cane trash – and turning it into bales of energy.
Twowere put towork in Uttardait province where KTIS
run one of its mills, Thai Identity, and two in Nakhon
Sawan,whereanotherof thecompany’smills, KasetThai,
is located. The project used also TD5.100 tractors and
wheel rakes.
New Holland has focused on developing technologies
andproducts tohelp farmersgrowandharvestbiomass,
biofuels cropsandcrop residues togenerateenergy, and
this continues to be one of the four pillars of its Clean
EnergyLeader strategy, GrowingEnergy.
TheBrand ispresent inThailand,withoffices inBangkok,
and a distributor. One of the first manufacturers to
introduce western hay and forage machinery in the
country, New Holland has a broad product offering -
including solutions for smaller scale trash baling such
as small square balers BC5000 andwheel rakes DuraVee
- and today holds leading positions in the Country’s
tractor segment.
Asia Pacific
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