The Thai Cabinet has recently acknowledged guidelines proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to advance Thailand’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the application of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. The guidelines support the Government’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and are consistent with Thailand’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.

To ensure a coordinated and systematic approach, the Cabinet assigned the Department of Climate Change and Environment as the main coordinating agency responsible for integrating operations and supporting relevant government bodies in developing and improving laws, regulations, policies, and mechanisms necessary to effectively advance the CCS initiative.

At the same time, the Department of Mineral Fuels, Ministry of Energy, was designated as the project-owning agency responsible for supervising and coordinating the study and assessment of carbon dioxide sequestration potential in geological formations in the upper Gulf of Thailand. The study will be carried out under the framework of Thailand-Japan cooperation on the application of CCS technology. If technical feasibility and legal readiness are confirmed, the development of onshore and offshore infrastructure and monitoring systems to support carbon dioxide capture and permanent storage could begin from 2034 onward.

The advancement of CCS through this project is expected to play a critical role in enabling emissions reductions in hard-to-abate sectors, accelerating Thailand’s transition to low-carbon industries, strengthening national competitiveness, and supporting sustainable economic development over the long term.