The Cabinet, during its meeting on 6 January 2026, approved guidelines for Thailand’s efforts to drive measures to reduce greenhouse gases through the application of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology.

The guidelines were proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in line with the Government’s policy of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and Thailand’s Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy. In this strategy, Thailand aims to move toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, in accordance with its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) greenhouse gas reduction targets.

At the meeting, the Cabinet assigned the Department of Climate Change and Environment to serve as a major coordinating agency in integrating operations and supporting relevant government offices to improve laws, regulations, and mechanisms for driving the CCS project.

The Department of Mineral Fuels, as the responsible agency for the project, was assigned to supervise and coordinate with relevant agencies in the study on carbon dioxide sequestration potential in geological rock formations in the upper Gulf of Thailand.

The Cabinet also instructed other government agencies to take necessary steps to help increase the efficiency of the study project on carbon dioxide sequestration potential within the framework of cooperation between Thai and Japanese governments on the application of CCS technology.

The study project is part of cooperation between Thailand and Japan, and it includes such key activities as seismic data reprocessing and seismic survey conducting along about 1,000 square kilometers in the upper Gulf of Thailand. These activities are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, while the drilling of exploratory wells with laboratory analysis to assess depth potential is expected to start in 2027.

If the study confirms its feasibility, with legal support, onshore and offshore infrastructure development, as well as monitoring systems to accommodate the capture and compression of carbon dioxide, are likely to begin from 2034 onward.

The driving of CCS technology will help lay a foundation for the transition to low-carbon industries, enhance Thailand’s competitiveness, and contribute to sustainable national economic development on a long-term basis.