Sustainable Development Goals
PROJECT INFORMATION AT A GLANCE:
Project Status:
Pilot Commissioned | Subsequently Sold for Continued R&D
Organizations Involved:
VA Energy, Owl Energy, Thailand Board of Investment, a local oil refinery, several plastic recyclers
Services / Equipment:
Due Diligence, Supply Chain Management, Component Supply, Operator Training
We took Thailand’s first waste-plastics oil producer and made its struggling plant work. VA Energy’s Korean-built batch pilot was commissioned in February 2018, only to face operating-performance problems, variable feedstock quality and recurring fouling. We engineered out the failures, worked with suppliers to clean up the incoming plastic, and put a rigorous maintenance programme in place, turning a problem plant into a working production platform that was subsequently sold as a site for continued research and development.
The strengthening mattered commercially because the output had a buyer. IRPC’s 2019 Annual Report records an agreement to buy 300,000–400,000 litres of plastic-derived crude oil per month from VA Energy and Tecsa Energy combined, a named refinery purchasing route that shows why reliable production and product quality matter.
VA Energy entered the market to recover oil from waste plastics. Its pilot facility was installed and commissioned in February 2018, creating a practical setting in which to develop a Thai independent-oil-producer business.
The Korean-designed batch process encountered operating-performance problems, variable feedstock quality and recurring fouling. Each issue affected a different part of the production system: how the equipment performed, what material entered it and how the plant was maintained between operating cycles.
The commercial challenge was to bring those elements under control. A useful plastics-to-oil business needs a repeatable operating process and a product that can serve its intended market. Our assignment addressed the relationship between incoming material, plant operation and the recovered output.
VA Energy was established in Thailand in 2015. Our project record identifies it as Thailand’s first independent oil producer using waste plastics, with Board of Investment registration and an Oil Refinery and Processing License.
The pilot gave the company an operating platform from which to test the business in practice. Our scope included due diligence, supply-chain management, component supply and operator training, supported by the engineering work needed to address the plant’s performance issues.
Resolve operational problems through engineering
Our project account records that continued engineering resolved the operating-performance problems. This was a practical intervention in an existing plant, applying process knowledge to the equipment and conditions already on site.
For the owner, the value was the ability to move from identifying technical problems to implementing improvements. The experience also made the requirements of a larger development more concrete: equipment configuration, operating continuity and output quality had to be considered together.
Improve feedstock quality at its source
Initial feedstock-quality problems were resolved through work with the plastic suppliers, and quality-assurance measures were introduced. This placed control of the incoming material within the operating system.
The lesson is commercially direct. The plant’s usable feedstock is the material that meets its processing requirements. Supplier coordination and quality assurance help align the available waste stream with the conversion process and the intended oil product.
Manage fouling through a defined maintenance programme
A rigorous maintenance programme was implemented to address recurring fouling in the batch process. Maintenance became part of the production approach, alongside engineering improvements and feedstock control.
These interventions demonstrate our value beyond equipment selection. Plant performance depends on how the process, material supply and operating practices work together throughout the production cycle.
Connect the recovered oil with an industrial purchasing route
IRPC’s report independently records VA Energy’s participation in the purchase agreement alongside Tecsa Energy. The 300,000–400,000-litre monthly volume covers both suppliers, establishing the scale of the combined purchasing arrangement.
For a plastic-recovery developer, this is an important commercial distinction: an industrial customer had entered into a documented agreement for plastic-derived oil. The case therefore links operational improvement with the wider requirement to produce a useful hydrocarbon product for an identifiable market.
The assignment delivered practical improvements to an existing pilot: operating problems were resolved through engineering, feedstock-quality issues were addressed with suppliers, and a maintenance programme was implemented to manage fouling.
VA Energy subsequently sold the pilot facility for continued R&D, giving it a further role in plastic-to-fuel research. The operating experience informed the direction of a larger development using equipment better suited to extended continuous operation and higher-quality outputs.
The scale recorded in the project estimates
Our published case sets out the following estimated project outcomes:
These figures describe the opportunity recorded for the project. The operational achievements provide the practical lessons behind it: suitable feedstock, maintained equipment, effective process control and a product route must be developed together.
1. Operational expertise can strengthen an existing asset.
Our engineering, supplier-quality work and maintenance support addressed specific problems at VA Energy’s pilot.
2. An industrial outlet gives product quality a commercial purpose.
IRPC documented a combined purchase agreement with VA Energy and Tecsa for 300,000–400,000 litres of plastic-derived oil per month.
3. Pilot experience can guide the next investment.
The improved facility was sold for continued R&D, while the development direction moved toward equipment suited to longer continuous operation and higher-quality outputs.
These are selected achievements and lessons. Further technical and commercial insights are available through an engagement with Klean.
A plastic-recovery investment gains value when the plant, feedstock supply and product market work together. We can help identify the changes that make that connection stronger.
For an existing facility, the engagement can address operating problems, feedstock suitability, component requirements, maintenance and operator capability. For a new development, the same experience helps define an appropriate process and the commercial requirements it must meet.
New equipment developments begin with a paid Detailed Equipment Quotation (DEQ), establishing the proposed configuration and preliminary investment basis. A Detailed Feasibility Study (DFS) develops the technical and commercial case, followed by Front-End Engineering Design (FEED). Existing-plant advisory and improvement work can be scoped to the specific assignment.
Strengthen Your Plastic Recovery Project with Klean >> GO.
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ABOUT THE INFORMATION PRESENTED
This case describes our operational support and the pilot’s subsequent sale for continued R&D. Diversion, production and carbon figures are project estimates. The IRPC purchasing volume is the combined agreement covering VA Energy and Tecsa Energy. Further operating records, estimate assumptions and commercial information are available within an agreed engagement and appropriate confidentiality arrangements.
