IRPC is moving ahead in line with the eco-friendly trend, employing Smart Material & Smart Energy technologies and innovations to strengthen its high-value specialty product development and penetrate energy storage components and electric vehicle parts markets.
“Presently people all over the world are paying attention to clean energy trends and preparing to transition to consume more clean energy,” comments Mr. Chawalit Tippawanich, President and Chief Executive Officer of IRPC Public Company Limited, or IRPC. “As such, in parallel with government policy, electric vehicles, or EVs, have an important role to play in promoting clean energy consumption. Moreover, Thailand has been preparing to be one of the world’s main production bases for electrical vehicles and EV auto parts in accordance with its S-Curve Industry Development under EEC Investment Plan to support electric vehicle and energy storage enterprise. This is also in line with IRPC’s vision ‘To Shape Material and Energy Solutions in Harmony with Life’. IRPC stands ready to research, develop and innovate high value environmentally friendly products, thus moving towards a low-carbon society for sustainable growth while meeting the demands of modern consumers’ lifestyles.”
IRPC’s business planning focuses on inventing and developing material and energy innovations to suit all consumer lifestyles now and for the future. The development of electric vehicle industry activities is an important step IRPC has committed to by developing products with the necessary capabilities, readiness, technologies and innovation expertise, including:
- Acetylene Black for Li-ion Battery Project: Acetylene Black is the key raw material in Li-ion battery production which is vital to EV and energy storage industry trends. The project will provide acetylene black with special characteristics in terms of purity and high conductivity that reduce charging times. Commercial production is expected to start in early 2027 with an initial production capacity of 1.2 KTA.
- ABS Production Expansion Employing Agglomeration Technology Project: This project will have a production capacity of 9.8 KTA. Its focus is on EVs, charging stations, drones and electrical appliance markets. The project will increase IRPC’s competitiveness by manufacturing ABS powder with new technology that reduces production times and costs. Commercial production is expected to start in late 2025.
IRPC has set a target to increase the sales proportion of specialty products from 24% in 2022 to 52% in 2025. IRPC is researching and developing materials that are key components in EV batteries, including separators and Li-ion anodes.
IRPC has also jointly invested with Japan Polypropylene Corporation (JPP) in Mytex Polymers (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with a 50% shareholding. The new company will take IRPC into the polypropylene (PP) compound market supplying auto parts and EV industry customers in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
Furthermore, IRPC has integrated cooperation in education with IRPC Technological College (IRPCT). IRPCT works with ARUN PLUS Co.,Ltd. to develop curriculums and support experts to share their body of knowledge relevant to EV development. Interested students will have opportunities to do internships at EV-related companies in PTT Group which have commercially started on-ion EV charging and swap & go battery stations for electric motorcycles as well as with the EV manufacturer jointly operated by ARUN Plus and Foxconn.