Western Digital, EGAT, and INNOPOWER announced their collaboration to drive green energy use in Thailand. This is the first pilot project rolled out under the country’s Utility Green Tariff initiative as one of the Energy Regulatory Committee (ERC) Sandbox Phase 2 projects. With this collaboration, Western Digital will implement electricity generated from renewable energy at its Bang Pa-In manufacturing site, test green energy procurement options guaranteed by INNOPOWER’s Renewable Energy Certification (REC), and promote green energy mechanisms according to international standards.
The agreement for this collaboration was signed by representatives from the three organizations, including Mr Philip Bernard, Senior Vice President of Western Digital Storage Technologies (Thailand); Mr Warit Rattanachuen, Assistant Governor – Research, Innovation and Business Development of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT); and Mr Athip Tantivorawong, CEO of INNOPOWER Company Limited.
“We are pleased to partner with EGAT and INNOPOWER to implement the use of green electricity from renewable energy sources at Western Digital’s Bang Pa-In manufacturing site in Thailand. This is an important milestone for Western Digital in our sustainability journey where we have set an ambitious aim to reduce our carbon footprint. Approved by the Science Based Target initiative, our Scope 1 and 2 target is to reduce emissions by 42% from 2020 to 2030 and our Scope 3 target is to reduce the use-phase emissions intensity of our products by 50% by 2023,” said Mr Philip Bernard.
Mr. Warit Rattanachuen, EGAT Assistant Governor – Research, Innovation and Business Development revealed that this collaboration between Western Digital and EGAT is an important step in driving the use of renewable energy in Thailand’s manufacturing industry, a key growth driver for the country. “Thanks to ERC Sandbox Project, this partnership marks the first-ever pilot project where we roll out green energy use in Thailand under the Utility Green Tariff initiative. We hope that the impact will benefit both our country and the world as we continue to drive toward a low-carbon society.”
Mr. Athip Tantivorawong, CEO of INNOPOWER Company Limited added, “Western Digital is leading change in the global digital storage solutions by utilizing renewable energy to power the future. For this Sandbox pilot project, INNOPOWER is committed to supporting Western Digital to achieve green energy and sustainability goals by providing the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC). INNOPOWER’s mission is to make green energy accessible to everyone and support the energy transition in the Thai economy.”
The Utility Green Tariff tests the mechanism of trading electricity from renewable energy in the form of green energy procurement and is part of the ERC Sandbox Project, Phase 2, for a period of 1 year. The project aims to test options for green energy procurement to enhance the green energy sector of Thailand at an international level in line with governmental policies, and the readiness to meet the green energy demand of all business sectors. It would also reduce carbon border tax such as CBAM and increase national competitiveness with power innovations, driving toward a low-carbon society and the country’s goal of Net Zero Emissions.
