Water Management

Management Approach

IRPC recognizes water as a critical resource for both its operations and surrounding communities and takes proactive responsibility for sustainable water management. The company works closely with government agencies, other PTT Group companies, and local stakeholders through a water user committee to ensure fair allocation of natural water resources. This collaboration helps prevent operational disruptions from water scarcity while safeguarding the needs of agriculture, industry, and the public. The committee also provides input for setting targets and shaping IRPC’s water management strategies, while the company supports local communities by distributing water during the dry season.

To ensure long-term water security, IRPC conducts regular water-related risk assessments covering both physical and regulatory aspects. Using water stress assessment tools, the company has confirmed its sites are currently in low-stress areas and uses this data to forecast future water demand. These insights guide the development of water management plans, ensuring responsible sourcing, efficient use, and reliable supply for ongoing business operations.

Sustainable Water Management Framework

IRPC established the Sustainable Water Management Framework to ensure proper water management in IRPC supply chain, water risk assessment, and analyzing and developing risk mitigation plans.

IRPC initiates water consumption strategy 321RPSD which are 3R – Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce water consumption / 2R – Reserve and Responsibility of water resource / 1P – Public Participation for improving and managing water resource / SD – Supply and Demand management for business continuity and ensuring no community conflict.

IRPC is committed to involving all stakeholders when managing water resource and its related impacts through programs engaging the authorities and surrounding communities, such as conserving water usage and water reserves in the case of droughts, distributing tap water, and planning flood prevention measures in local communities. As a member of Eastern Water War Room Management, IRPC also engages with governmental agencies (Royal Irrigation Department, Provincial Waterworks Authority, and Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand) to share and discuss resolution measures to water-related issues in the eastern region. Furthermore, IRPC is also involved with PTT Group Water Management Team: PTTWT in planning management strategies for efficient use of water resources in its production process.

Water Risk Management

Water–related Risk Management Strategy

IRPC uses water from natural resources to feed into the production process. The water is allocated from Rayong Irrigation Department, released into quality improvement for use in various systems, including cooling water system, demineralized water production, and using saltwater for Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD). IRPC controls the quality of water before discharging out of the premises under standard established by the Department of Industrial Works and other relevant authorities. Furthermore, to ensure the effective use of water, IRPC has implemented the 3Rs principles to water management approach.

Water–related Risk Assessment

IRPC has comprehensive risk management related to water, including physical risks i.e., water volume, water quality and risks related to regulations and provisions from risk assessment. According to the Aqueduct Water Tool of the World Resource Institute (WRI), it is found that IRPC is in low baseline water stress1. Consequently, the assessment result is brought forward for preparing water management plans and for the study and forecast on the use of water in the future business operation.

Internal Water Resource Management

IRPC adopts the 3Rs principle: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. This involves minimizing water consumption at the source, reusing, and recycling treated effluent that meets quality standards for reuse in other applications, such as plant irrigation or substituting distilled water with treated water for preparing chemical solutions.

In 2024, IRPC focuses on reducing the discharge of water in the Water Distribution System (WDS) at the lab line 07X068B. The department’s policy aims to reduce WDS water usage, supporting the Company’s overall goal of lowering utility costs. The project successfully minimized water loss at the cooling Baht by 20 m³ per year, meeting the set target. The achieved intensity is 0.0007 m³ per ton of product, demonstrating effective water management and resource optimization. To enhance efficiency, the Company has integrated digitalization through the i-utility application, enabling real-time monitoring of water usage and fostering greater awareness. This approach helps reduce the extraction of water from natural sources.

Additionally, IRPC promotes a culture of water conservation among employees by launching campaigns to encourage sustainable water use both at work and at home.

Beyond employee engagement, the Company has collaborated with the machine cleaning contractor during major scheduled maintenance to calculate the amount of water consumption in the machine cleaning process. This helps to determine and control the amount of water used as appropriately.

In addition, IRPC collaborated with the PTT Group to conduct a feasibility study under the Water Demand Management project, aimed at identifying untapped opportunities for further water conservation within the production process. Pilot projects have been implemented at 2 plants: ETP and UHV.

Wastewater Management

IRPC has implemented a comprehensive approach to wastewater management to ensure environmental compliance and operational efficiency. Wastewater measurements and monitoring are conducted based on effluent quality parameters established for the industrial zone, ensuring compliance with the standards for Online COD at Receiving Pond 1. The results are subsequently reported to the Department of Industrial Works’ monitoring system.

The Company has registered 2 wastewater treatment plants in IRPC industrial zone in Rayong Province to ensure efficiency in the management of wastewater from the Company’s operations. The operation of IRPC’s wastewater treatment plants is controlled by a pipeline network that covers all factories in the industrial zone. Wastewater quality is checked against internal standards prior to being discharged into the treatment facility to ensure the efficiency of treatment at the source and to minimize errors at the central wastewater treatment system. The Company has also conducted assessments of the receiving water body associated with our operations to avoid any potential impacts on the current ecosystem.

For the management of wastewater from major scheduled maintenance, each type of wastewater will be subject to clearly defined disposal method. Wastewater that cannot be fed into the Company’s wastewater treatment system will have to be disposed of by a licensed disposal company. This is to prevent unlawful disposal of wastewater and minimize the impact on surrounding communities.

To ensure water treatment management efficiency and gain stakeholders’ trust and reassure them of the Company’s operational sustainability, IRPC has engaged third-party consultants and government agencies to regularly collect wastewater samples for analysis to ascertain its wastewater quality meets both internal standards and the standards prescribed by the Notifications of the Ministry of Industry.