Bangchak Petroleum Plc has halted production at a biodiesel plant in Bang Pa-in in Ayutthaya on concerns that flooding may disrupt the transport of raw materials.
The plant, which has a capacity of 300,000 litres a day, is not flooded yet.
President Anusorn Sangnimnuan insisted the temporary shutdown would not affect retail sales because it has a stock of 5 million litres of biodiesel, large enough for retail distribution for about 25 to 30 days.
BCP's Bang Pa-in estate covers 600 rai, containing an oil depot, the biodiesel plant of Bangchak Bio Fuel Co, and Solar Energy Co, a solar farm.
Yodphod Wongrukmit, acting senior executive vice-president for marketing at Bangchak, said the water level near the gate of its oil depot was 4.57 metres, above the critical point of 4.5 metres.
The level at two other water gates close to its estate was four metres.
He said the five-metre-high flood wall surrounding the oil depot was still safe.
"To prevent the possibility of damage to our biodiesel plant, we decided to halt production. But our oil depot and solar farm are operating as usual," said Mr Yodphod.
If floodwaters recede after this weekend, the company may restart biodiesel production.
The biodiesel plant was built in 2008 for 2 billion baht. It started operations in 2009.
The first phase of Bangchak's solar farm generating eight megawatts is in commercial operation, with construction of the second phase of 30 MW planned to start soon. Both phases cost a combined 5 billion baht.
He added that the company's oil refinery in Phra Khanong in Bangkok along the Chao Phraya River was safe because of a 1.5-metre-high wall.
In another development, PTT Chemicals Plc, Thailand's largest polyolefins producer, said yesterday it expected little impact from operational suspensions by electronics and automobile manufacturers in flooded areas.
"Most of our clients have production bases in the eastern part of the country, Bangkok and the provinces west of Bangkok, so they haven't been affected yet," said Veerasak Kositpaisal, chief executive of PTTCH.
The company has about 10 clients in flooded areas with combined sales of 2,000 to 5,000 tonnes a year.
Total sales volume of polyolefins by PTTCH per year is 1.5 million tonnes, with 40% domestic sales and 60% exports.
