THE JOINT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

The Joint Graduate School of Energy and EnvironmentKMUTT KMUTNB PSU CMU SIIT-TU

JGSEE Newsletter Vol. 33, January - April 2019

C e n t e r o f E x c e l l e n c e o n E n e r g y T e c h n o l o g y a n d E n v i r o n m e n t

Center of Excellence on Energy Technology & Environment

Supported by

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JGSEE Participates to COE’s Roadshow in Khon Kaen

Contribution to Society

Message from Director

Contribution to Knowledge Platform

JGSEE, GMI and KMUTT Joint Short Course on Energy Business Management

STI, JGSEE and KMUTT-ESS Joint Dissemination Workshop on Green Goodness

KMUTT’s 15th Research Forum on PM2.5 in Thailand

JGSEE Joins Exhibition on KMUTT Creativity & Technology Showcase Series 2

JGSEE/CIRAD Contribution to FASEP Project on Green Gold of Petchabun

Dr Ekkaporn Nawapanan

Dr Supachai Jadsadajerm

Welcome New Comers

Contribution to Research Platform

Dr Praphatsorn Punsompong

Dr Wanwitoo Wanmolee, PhD in Energy Technology

Messages from Graduates

Dr Wirawat Chaya, PhD in Science and Technology

Award

Dr Pornlada Daorattanachai Receives Award at 18th TRF-OHEC Annual Congress

RE-Asia 2019

Upcoming Event

JGSEE-CEE on a Steady Move to High Impact Research Contributing to Bioeconomy and Smart City in Thailand and ASEAN

JGSEE-CEE on a Steady Move to High Impact Research Contributing to Bioeconomy and Smart City in Thailand and ASEAN

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Message from Director

To achieve the vision goal of the 20-year National Strategy, energy and environment are still essential components. Energy security, a�ordability and sustainability are the three pillars that support economy and society. Sustainable bioeconomy is expected to contribute to Thailand’s GDP and improve the nation’s lives. With the rapid development and penetration of robotic engineering, automation, digitisation, arti�cial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT), technology disruption may come much earlier than expected and will change the way of living. Energy utilisation, especially related to power, will be transformed sooner or later. By e�cient management, smart grid and smart city will become realisable in the near future. In line with JGSEE-CEE’s core competencies, strategic research directions have been established and JGSEE-CEE is now on the path to contribute to bioeconomy and smart city and serve the needs of the country and region.

Last year JGSEE-CEE was very active with many fruitful activities being carried out in line with its strategic missions: Education, Research and Academic Services. Better than ever, almost half of the students enrolled were foreign students, not only from ASEAN countries but also other regions especially from Africa. This has contributed to boost the school’s international environment and atmosphere. A short course on Energy Business Management was co-conducted for the �rst time by JGSEE-CEE and GMI to support outcome-based education and the industry.

Both the Energy and the Environment Divisions were scored “very good to excellent” by TRF Index 2560 which re�ects JGSEE-CEE’s research excellence. A number of faculty sta�, researchers as well as students also received awards and recognitions both nationally and internationally. This year, increasing the ratio of industrial funding to 30% and establishing and sustaining long-term partnership with the industry are key targets to achieve. To strengthen its research team, JGSEE-CEE has welcomed four young and active researchers: Dr Supachai Jadsadajerm and Dr Wanwitoo Wanmolee to support research related to biofuels and biore�nery, and Dr Praphatsorn Punsompong and Dr Ekkaporn Nawapanan to support research related to environment and climate change issues. Since the beginning of 2019, JGSEE-CEE has already contributed to the dissemination of knowledge and research outputs through the organisation of various events. For instance, the school co-organised a couple of COEs’ Roadshows in Chonburi and Khon kaen in collaboration with OHEC and 10 other CoEs; both places constitute strategic locations for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and the Northeastern Bioeconomy Zone, respectively. Major outputs, including contributions to the development of the industry and society were showcased to the public and related industries during those events. JGSEE-CEE also joined di�erent research platforms concerning important current societal issues, in particular, the KMUTT’s 15th Research Forum on PM2.5 in Thailand; a Dissemination Workshop on Green Goodness: Can Ethics Actually Help Reduce Global Warming?; and a KMUTT Creativity & Technology Showcase on Digital Transformation.

Later this year, JGSEE-CEE will organise two interesting events. Firstly, the International Conference on “Connecting ASEAN Smart Cities, Grids and E-mobility” (Former REAsia), which will be held on 5 June at BITEC, Bangkok, as part of the ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week. Secondly, the 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Green Technology (SEGT 2019) for which JGSEE-CEE is the local organiser. The event will be held during 11-14 December 2019 in Bangkok

Suneerat Fukuda Director

THE JOINT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

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JGSEE Participates to COE’s Roadshow in Khon Kaen

Contribution to Society

Contribution to Knowledge Platform

During 28-29 March 2019, JGSEE-CEE in collaboration with PERDO and 10 Centers of Excellence (CoEs), including, HSM, PETROMAT, EHT, CEM, AG-BIO, PERCH-CIC, BDC, ThEP, PHTIC and CEMB, organised the seminar and exhibition on “CoE and Development in North Eastern Area of Thailand”. The event was held at the Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid Hotel in Khon Kaen.

The exhibition was held under the theme “Excellence Research on Application in Area”. It was divided into 5 topics: (1) Education, (2) Health, (3) Agriculture,

(4) Energy & Environment, and (5) Green Industries. At this occasion, JGSEE presented its activities under the PERDO research program on the following topics : (1) Development of Integrative Biore�nery Knowledge and Platforms for E�cient Conversion of lignocellulosic Biomass to Biofuels, Valorised Chemicals and Materials (Biore�nery) - Biomass Conversion to High Value-added Products; (2) Energy and Environmental Technology for Sustainable Urban Building Development Towards Net Zero Energy Building (SUD1) – Net Zero House; and (3) Integrated Energy and Environment for sustainable Green Urban Approach (SUD2) – Water Scarcity.

JGSEE, GMI and KMUTT Joint Short Course on Energy Business Management

JGSEE-CEE in collaboration with the Graduate School of Management and Innovation (GMI) under King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) successfully organised a short course on “Energy Business Management (EBM#1)” during 27 October 2018 – 26 January 2019 at the Jasmine City Hotel in Bangkok.

The EBM#1 short course aimed at providing participants with knowledge on topics including: (1) Sustainable energy & environmental technologies; (2) Disruptive technology for future energy business model; and (3) Analysis of sustainability of technology via life cycle assessment (LCA) technique. The participants also received training on: (1) Modern organisation management; (2) Competition in globalisation; (3) Risk management on business, human resources, leadership and communication; and (4) Teamwork.

During the course, Drs Athikom Bangviwat, Pipat Chaiwiwatworakul and Thapat Silalertraksa of JGSEE were invited to deliver lectures on 5 major topics: (1) Energy e�ciency resource standard; (2) Energy in building; (3) Net zero energy house & smart city; (4) Environmental risk on energy business; (5) Standard of environmental sustainability for energy industry and building; and (6) Analysis of sustainability of technology via life cycle assessment (LCA).

Towards the end of the course, all participants were invited to visit the District Cooling System and Power Plant Co., Ltd (DCAP) at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). A certi�cate of participation was delivered to all trainees at the end of the short course on 26 February 2019 at the Kasalong Resort Hotel in Pattaya.

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JGSEE Joins Exhibition on KMUTT Creativity & Technology Showcase Series 2

During 26-27 March 2019, KMUTT organised an exhibition on “KMUTT Creativity & Technology Showcase Series 2: Digitization for Smart Life and Smart Industry”. The event was held at the KMUTT Knowledge Exchange for Innovation Center (KX) in Bangkok. The exhibition aimed at sharing knowledge on technology and innovation related to digital transformation to stakeholders from the government and academia as well as entrepreneurs from the industry.

At this occasion, JGSEE-CEE presented its research activities on the following topics: (1) Evaluating the RDF Production Potential from Land�ll Mining by Electrical Resistivity Tomography Measurement; (2) End-use Metering of Power Consumption of Household Appliances: Assessment of Potential of Electricity Saving; and (3) Water Footprint and Water Scarcity Assessment for E�ciency of Water Resource Management.

STI, JGSEE and KMUTT-ESS Joint Dissemination Workshop on Green Goodness

The National Science Technology and Innovation Policy O�ce (STI), the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), and the Earth Systems Science Project of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) successfully organised the dissemination workshop under the theme “Green Goodness: Can Ethics Actually Help Reduce Global Warming?”.The event was held on 4 February 2019 at the KMUTT Knowledge Exchange for Innovation Center (KX) in Bangkok.

The workshop provided a platform for speakers from the public sector and from educational institutions to exchange knowledge and experiences on aspects related to ethical issues and climate change. The declaration of

ethical principle related to climate change is increasingly being discussed with regard to the use of climate change reduction activities but has not yet been clearly brought into practice at all levels. In Thailand, support for ethical practices related to climate change is needed on aspects related to solidarity, sustainable development, equity and justice, and the use of scienti�c knowledge for decision-making through joint contributions with policymakers, local government, communities, and the public sector.

Assoc Prof Dr Sirintornthep Towprayoon, the head of the Earth Systems Science (ESS-KMUTT) project indicated that activities for reduction of greenhouse gases and adaptation to climate change started a long time ago in Thailand and have been successful in addressing ethical issues. However, the lessons learned from these activities are still to be addressed. This workshop provided therefore a great opportunity for experts on the subject to discuss important steps to extract ethical issues from past successful projects so as to contribute establishing a policy guideline for applying climate change ethics as part of the ongoing e�orts for greenhouse gas reduction and climate change adaptation.

KMUTT’s 15th Research Forum on PM2.5 in Thailand

On 8 February 2019, the KMUTT Research, Innovation and Partnerships O�ce (RIPO) held the Research Forum No. 15 on the issue of �ne particulate matter pollution (or PM2.5) in Bangkok and surrounding areas as it has become an environmental and health related issue of main concern in Thailand.

The event started with an opening remark by Prof Sumrerng Jugjai. This was followed by a joint talk by Assoc Prof Dr Kasemsan Manomaiphiboon from JGSEE-CEE and Asst Prof Dr Prapat Pongkiatkul from the Department

of Environmental Engineering of KMUTT on “Past and Future Outlooks of PM2.5 in Thailand”. They covered basic facts and knowledge related to PM2.5, including, potential sources of emissions, health standards, mitigation measures, and management options. In addition, Dr Padung Nangsue form the Bangpakok 9 International Hospital was invited to join the event and share his expertise with a talk on “Health E�ects of PM2.5 and Protection”.

THE JOINT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

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JGSEE/CIRAD Contribution to FASEP Project on Green Gold of PetchabunDr Patrick Rousset, JGSEE-CEE based senior researcher from CIRAD, is involved in a feasibility project titled “Green Gold of Petchabun” funded through FASEP of the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance. The project is contributed by a consortium of French companies led by Mini Green Power. The local bene�ciary of the project is the cooperative of Petchabun, a non-pro�t �lial of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), which represents 10,000 farmers from the province. This project aims at investigating the feasibility of large-scale agro-pellet production from unused agricultural residues (e.g. rice straw, sugarcane tops and leaves, corn stalk, etc.) to serve as energy feedstock for selected end-users. In this project, Dr Rousset in collaboration with Dr Sebastien Bonnet (LCSAL) and Ms Wanida Kajina (JGSEE Researcher) are responsible for assessing the potential of Petchabun in biomass resources, reviewing the technology for torre�ed pellet production and the social implications associated to crop residues utilisation for energy. In order to initiate these investigations, a �eld trip was organised during 9-11 February 2019 during which discussions were held between the CIRAD/JGSEE team, the project leader and the representatives of the cooperative of Petchabun. This phase of the feasibility study is to last for 6 months (January-June 2019).

Dr Ekkaporn Nawapanan

In 2018, Dr Ekkaporn Nawapanan earned a PhD degree in Energy Engineering from Chiang Mai University on “Analysis of Green Gross Domestic Product of Sugarcane-based Ethanol by Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment”. The thesis work was supervised by Assoc Prof Dr Sate Sampattagul. Dr Ekkaporn is now a post-doctoral researcher at JGSEE-CEE under the supervision of Dr Sate. He is working on the project entitled “Green GDP and Green GPP Evaluation Towards Green Low Carbon City Development” under the CEE’s program “Integrate Energy and Environment for Sustainable Green Urban Approach (SUD-2)”.

Dr Supachai JadsadajermIn 2018, Dr Supachai Jadsadajerm earned a PhD degree in Energy Technology on “Study on the Degradative Solvent Extraction of Biomass Using Fresh and Recycled Petroleum Based Solvents and the Utilisation of the Extracted Products”. The thesis work was supervised by Assoc Prof Dr Nakorn Worasuwannarak. During his PhD studies, he received a research abroad scholarship from the Petchra Pra Jom Klao Doctoral Scholarship for 6 month (May – October 2017) on “Characterisation of Solid Products from Degradative Solvent Extraction of Biomass”. He was also selected to receive a scholarship from the Japan-ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Platform (JASTIP) to perform a one-month internship in October 2018 at the Institute of Advanced Energy at Kyoto University in Japan. The internship topic was on “Study of the Spontanoeus Combusion of Biomass and Upgraded Biomass”. Dr Supachai is now a post-doctoral researcher at JGSEE-CEE under the supervision of Dr Nakorn. He is working on the project entitled “E�ect of Biomass Composition on Hot Press Torrefaction Characteristics: Chemical Properties and Pyrolysis Behaviors” under the CEE’s program on “E�cient Biomass Conversion Technologies for Biofuel and Bioenergy Production”.

Welcome New Comers

Contribution to Research Platform

Dr Praphatsorn Punsompong

In 2018, Dr Praphatsorn Punsompong earned a PhD degree in Environmental Science on “Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Biomass Burning in Forest and Agricultural Areas in Northern Thailand for Estimating Emission and Transport of Air Pollutants”. The thesis work was supervised by Asst Prof Dr Somporn Chantara, Chiang Mai University. Dr Praphatsorn is now a post-doctoral researcher at JGSEE-CEE under the supervision of Assoc Prof Dr Savitri Garivait. She is working on the project titled “Development of Remote Sensing Data Analysis and Integration System for Assessment of Air Quality in Thailand” under the CEE’s program “Climate Change Technology and Innovation (CTI)”.

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Dr Wanwitoo Wanmolee, PhD in Energy Technology

I am Wanwitoo Wanmolee. I recently graduated from JGSEE-CEE with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Energy Technology. My PhD thesis was performed under the supervision of Prof Navadol Laosiripojana (from JGSEE) and Prof William O. S. Doherty (from Queensland University of Technology, Australia). The thesis is titled “Conversion of Fractionated Lignin and Cellulose to Bio-aromatics and Macromolecular Building Blocks”.

The research work was performed during 2014-2018 and aimed at contributing to the study of key factors a�ecting lignin conversion (via hydrothermal process) into low molecular weight compounds using the C–O–C and C–C cleavage approach. It also involved the study on the formation of lignin macromolecular building blocks using C–C coupling approach.

As a preliminary work, this study intended to: (1) demonstrate the catalytic conversion of organosolv lignins to phenolic monomers in di�erent organic solvents, and examine the e�ect of operating conditions on product yield with methyl isobutyl ketone, (2) demonstrate organosolv lignin depolymerisation to benzyl alcohols and bioaromatics using doped zeolite catalysts, and (3) develop a one-pot synthetic route to produce lignin macromolecular building blocks. As a part of this research, I had an opportunity to do research in Australia for two years to acquire knowledge on various aspects including analytical techniques and process technology. This research work has led to international publications and a provisional patent.

I am now a post-doctoral researcher at JGSEE under the supervision of Prof Navadol. I am working on the project titled “Catalytic Conversion of Lignin to Bioaromatics and Building Block Materials” under the CEE’s program “E�cient Biomass Conversion Technologies for Biofuel and Bioenergy Production (BBB)”.

Dr Wirawat Chaya, PhD in Science and TechnologyI am Wirawat Chaya and I have just completed my PhD studies in Science and Technology with a major in Community Resource Management from the School of Multidisciplinary Sciences, KMUTT. I conducted my doctoral research under the supervision of Prof Shabbir H. Gheewala, JGSEE-CEE. My dissertation topic is “Social Sustainability Assessment of Small-scale Farming of Ethanol-producing Crops in Thailand”.

The dissertation primarily analysed 1) policies and governance related to ethanol-producing crops and their e�ciency and 2) drivers to policy goals and their impacts on social sustainability. Through the lens of sustainable livelihoods, the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) framework was applied as a key tool for social sustainability appraisal. It was shown that most relevant policies had coherent objectives dealing with crop zoning in securing feedstocks (mainly cassava and molasses) for ethanol production. However, some incoherence and gaps of implementation and instruments were detected. Technology, group formation, managerial skills and law formation and funding were key drivers in achieving policy goals and social

sustainability. A survey of technology adoption illustrated that most small-scale sugarcane farmers adopted machinery services through the value chain. However, mechanical harvesting was adopted by 30%-40%. Mechanisation adoption was limited to land preparation only in small-scale cassava farming. Mechanisation was perceived to improve farmer livelihoods as income, well-being and food security were increased while vulnerability relevant to drought, a shortage of labor and price instability was reduced. Group adoption of technologies increased social cohesion, improved quality of life, reinforced democracy and governance and enhanced maturity. Policies related to feedstock production of ethanol should address the importance of the key drivers, improve their coherence and �ll the gaps.

Messages from Graduates

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THE JOINT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Award

Dr Pornlada Daorattanachai Receives Award at 18th TRF-OHEC Annual Congress

In January 2019, the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) and the O�ce of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC) organised the 18th TRF-OHEC Annual Congress on the theme “Young Researchers Meet Senior Researchers”. The event was held during 9-11 January 2019 at the Regent Cha Am Beach Resort in Thailand. About one thousand young and senior research fellows participated to this annual congress. During the event, Dr Pornlada Daorattanachai (JGSEE researcher) received the Outstanding Poster Presentation Award.

Upcoming Event

Contact and InformationThe Joint Graduate School of Energy and EnvironmentKing Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Prachauthit Rd. Bangmod, Tungkru, Bangkok, Thailand 10140 Tel. (662) 470 8309-10 Ext 4130, Fax. (662) 470 8355E-mail : pro@jgsee.kmutt.ac.th

Editor:Assoc Prof Dr Sebastien Bonnet

Assistant to Editor:Ms Siriya Seneewongse Na Ayudthaya

www.jgsee.kmutt.ac.th

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