In October 2024, following a successful international tender, NACAG’s partner, UBE Chemicals, a leading caprolactam producer in Thailand, signed a contract with PICO Thailand for the procurement and installation of advanced N2O monitoring equipment. Beginning in June 2025, UBE will commence continuous monitoring of nitrous oxide (N2O), a highly potent greenhouse gas.
The emissions baseline established through this monitoring will guide UBE’s subsequent steps, including the procurement and installation of N2O abatement technology. Preparatory work has already begun, with modifications underway to the basket bottom of the ammonia burner to accommodate a secondary N2O abatement catalyst.
This secondary abatement technology is expected to reduce annual N2O emissions by 30,000 tCO2eq, equivalent to approximately 17,000 one-way passenger flights from Bangkok to Berlin. These reductions will directly contribute to Thailand’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
In the coming years, NACAG and UBE Chemicals are exploring opportunities to expand the initiative by equipping two additional reactors with N2O abatement technology. This expansion could increase the total emissions reduction potential to 100,000 tCO2eq per year.
Since signing the Grant Agreement with NACAG in March 2024, UBE Chemicals has made significant strides toward achieving emissions-free caprolactam production. This progress has been made possible through Thailand’s commitment to the sustainable and climate-friendly transformation of its caprolactam sector.
