PTT Collaborates with EEC and IEAT in Cold Storage Technology Investment to Support Thai Fruits to Raise Quality of Agricultural Products in EEC
Mr. Auttapol Rerkpiboon, President and Chief Executive Officer, PTT Public Co., Ltd. (PTT), Mr. Kanit Sangsuphan, Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee and Ms. Somchint Pilouk, Governor of Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) attended the signing ceremony for the Cooperation Agreement in system development of blast freezer & cold storage under the Eastern Fruit Corridor (EFC) project. At the event, Mr. Supattanapong Panmeechao, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Chaired the ceremony which was witnessed by Mr. Suriya Jungrungruangkit, Minister of Industry. Under the cooperation, the cold storage system and infrastructure of the preservation of agricultural products will be developed. PTT will invest on constructing a modern 4,000 - ton cold storage system, utilizing the cold energy from liquefied natural gas (LNG) gasification to produce liquid nitrogen for use in blast freezer which will help maintain the quality of fruits as if they were recently collected from the garden. It will also develop a cold storage system that can maintain the quality of agricultural products for sale all year round. PTT will as well develop a digital platform of partner management system. Meanwhile, IEAT will be responsible for the site allocated in the area of the industrial estate - Smart Park, Map Ta Phut, Rayong Province, and ECC will coordinate the cooperation and promote benefits for public and private agencies. The pilot project will begin with durian and expand to other products to help generate stable income for farmers. The implementation will reduce shortages or oversupply of the produce and will increase the country's economic competitiveness as well as create added value for the Thai agricultural sector to compete internationally in a sustainable manner.