China and Thailand promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy sector

Driving north from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, for about 400 kilometers, the reporter arrived at the terminal of the product oil pipeline project in the northeast of Thailand, located on the outskirts of Kongjing Prefecture. In the evening, the afterglow of the sun shone on 20 huge storage tanks, casting a golden light. 20 provinces in northeastern Thailand obtained finished oil products from this tank farm terminal.
The Northeast Thailand Refined Oil Pipeline Project (hereinafter referred to as the "Pipeline Project") is the first energy infrastructure construction project in Thailand led by the China Development Bank and supported by international syndicated financing. It is also the first refined oil project in the Northeast region of Thailand. Last August, with the joint rotation of the outbound valve by technical personnel from China and Thailand, tens of thousands of tons of diesel were slowly injected into the pipeline. These diesel fuels flow through 5 prefectures along the pipeline and reach the terminal of the tank area located in Kong Jing's mansion. Afterwards, dozens of tanker trucks loaded with finished oil drove to 20 provinces in northeastern Thailand, marking the smooth operation of the pipeline project. This project includes a 342 kilometer long finished oil pipeline and supporting pump stations, valve chambers, and tank terminals. The annual oil transportation capacity reaches 6 million tons, which can fill the supply gap of finished oil in the northeastern region of Thailand and improve the supply situation of finished oil.
For the first time, an 18 meter long steel pipe was used in a long-distance pipeline in Thailand, and a large storage tank was installed using the "inverted method" for the first time in Thailand... Thai engineer Tikapong told reporters, "During the construction of the project route, many difficulties were overcome, such as high crossing density and complex terrain. Chinese enterprises have fully invested, especially in the advanced technology of difficult crossing."
Thanks to the increased quality and international recognition of Chinese products, a large number of Chinese made products have been used in pipeline engineering. In the control room of the substation at the terminal of the tank farm, the reporter saw many equipment marked with the "Huawei" logo. In addition, all 29000 tons of special steel required for project construction came from Baosteel in China. "Chinese materials and equipment have met international standards," said Thai quality control engineer Nipong.
The energy cooperation between China and Thailand not only benefits the local area, but also promotes the sustainable development of the Lancang Mekong region. The northeastern region of Thailand is adjacent to Laos, and the terminal of the Kongjing tank farm is only 250 kilometers from the capital of Laos, Vientiane. At present, the total amount of gasoline and diesel imported from Thailand accounts for about 90% of the domestic market consumption in Laos, mainly transported by trucks. Panu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thailand Pipeline Network Co., Ltd., stated that the pipeline project plans to continue extending towards the northeast of Thailand and connecting to Laos, which will strengthen energy connectivity between Thailand, Laos, China and other Lancang Mekong countries.
Buwana Songka, executive editor in chief of Thailand's "Bangkok Today", said that with the rapid economic development, countries' demand for energy continues to increase. Energy cooperation is an important area of the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", which will promote the joint construction of countries to achieve high-quality and sustainable development.