Thai plant engineer makes high-energy biofuel on par with coal

BANGKOK -- Thai engineering company TTCL has opened a plant to produce biomass fuel from agricultural waste like corncobs and husks as a greener alternative to coal in a country that still relies heavily on fossil fuels.

The facility in northern Thailand's Lampang Province uses a process known as torrefaction to produce a fuel with greater energy density than standard wood pellets. It is about on par with Indonesian coal, and also comparable in price under current market conditions, the company said.