Thailand to build desalination plant to serve industrial production
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) is planning to invest in a water desalination plant to supply the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in response to ongoing and future droughts.
Bangkok (VNA) - The Industrial Estate Authority ofThailand (IEAT) is planning to invest in a water desalination plant to supplythe Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in response to ongoing and future droughts.
The plant, capable of desalinating 300,000 cubic metres ofseawater per day, will be set up through a joint venture. It will supply waterto factories in the area that has had to reduce water consumption in the past yeardue to extreme drought.
The EEC covers three provinces – Rayong, Chon Buriand Chachoengsao, with 34 industrial estates and 6,033 factories. It is an ambitiousproject of the Thai Government to stimulate the local economy.
IEAT governor Somchint Pilouk said Thailand has been hithard by what may be its worst drought in four decades, which has increasedthe risk of water shortages for industries in the country’s central and easternlocalities and agriculture in the North and Northeast.
She said the desalination plant will solve the watershortage in the long term and guarantee the eastern areas will not face futureshortages.
IEAT expects to finalise the investment budget and jointventure partnership for the project in the next few months.
The plant uses reverse osmosis to convert seawater tofreshwater, removing salt and other minerals. Its capacity can be expanded ifdemand grows in the future, said Somchint.
IEAT began a feasibility study in March to determine theviability of using desalina𓂃ted water to solve water shor๊tages for theindustrial sector. /.
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Drought in Suphanburi, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
