Geocycle, Thailand – Siam City Cement

As part of my role at Siam City Cement, I established the Geocycle business unit with the aim of reducing fossil fuel use, lowering CO2 emissions, decreasing production costs, and promoting sustainable practices in Thailand’s cement industry. To achieve this goal, we conducted a detailed waste market study and technical assessment of the existing six cement production lines, leading to a board-approved business plan. Over four years, several significant achievements were accomplished, including:

• Establishing Geocycle as a new business unit with a strong organizational infrastructure of over 100 full-time employees.

• Conducting trial burn tests and obtaining licenses to prepare and feed a wide range of alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR).

• Developing a social and environmental impact assessment.

• Investing approximately 40 million USD in the design and construction of a state-of-the-art AFR preparation plant and fully automatic feeding systems.

• Developing and implementing a communication strategy to overcome internal and external obstacles for the introduction of AFR.

As a result of these efforts, we were able to handle approximately 30,000 tons of AFR per month, achieving a consolidated total substitution rate of fossil fuels of 5-10%. We also generated up to 1 million USD in gross added value (GAV) per month and obtained integrated ISO certification for ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:2004, and OHSAS 18001:2007. Our strategies for overcoming obstacles were diverse and intensive, including communication, teaching, and demonstrations. We were proud to see that Geocycle’s best practices were followed by Siam City Cement’s competitors in the market place, which was recognized by industry leaders.