Industrial-park developer Amata Corporation yesterday expressed to Myanmar its interest in investing in the country, possibly in the Dawei project, which is being highly touted by both Thailand and Myanmar amid financing and environmental concerns.
"Dawei is an attractive location, but our study will find out where would be the perfect site," Viboon Kromdit, chief operating officer, said yesterday.
He had a brief discussion with Aye Myint, Myanmar's industry minister, who led a team of delegates from his country to Map Ta Phut to see first-hand the industrial estate's environmental-impact mitigation.
Myanmar President Thein Sein months ago visited Laem Chabang Industrial Estate and deep-sea port.
Veerapong Chaiperm, governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, said Aye Myint's main interest was air-quality control at the Map Ta Phut estate. The minister also asked about petrochemical investment and its associated risks as well as mishaps in the past months. Veerapong said many of the mishaps were due to human error rather than technology.
The Myanmar delegates were also interested in BLCP's power plant, which employs clean coal technology that reduces emission of sulphur dioxide.
Viboon said Amata had explored opportunities in the neighbouring country for 10 years and the latest feasibility study should be completed next year.
The industrial-estate developer has set its sights on investing in a petrochemical and steel park, but such heavy industries would require an adequate water and power supply, plus a proper deep-sea port.
Somjet Tinnapong, managing director of Dawei Development Co - the subsidiary of Italian-Thai Development that won the concession to develop the special economic zone - said the development project was awaiting recommendations from the six panels set up by both countries to design the master plan.
The Dawei project has been stalled, as prospective lenders are unsure of the outlook. Somjet said negotiations with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation were ongoing. The project needs huge capital, so the company is ready to wait for a strategy to be outlined by the public sector.
