Port Authority of Thailand Decarbonization pathways for major ports (DP World, 2025; Partnerships for Infrastructure, n.d.)

Thailand is advancing port-sector decarbonization through a combination of strategic planning, low-emission technology deployment, and international knowledge exchange. Led by the Marine Department and the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) and supported by the Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I), this coordinated approach targets both near-term emissions reductions in port operations and longer-term alignment with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) net-zero objectives. The initiative focuses on Thailand’s major ports, notably Laem Chabang and Map Ta Phut, which together play a critical role in regional trade and industrial supply chains.

At the planning level, Thailand is assessing the operational and fuel-transition pathways to decarbonization. This includes evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of alternative-fuel bunkering infrastructure and establishment of a green shipping corridor with a neighboring ASEAN port. These assessments provide an evidence base for investment decisions and will directly inform PAT’s long-term Green Port Master Plan, ensuring port infrastructure, fuels, and operations remain compatible with emerging low- and zero-carbon shipping technologies.

Operational decarbonization is already underway through the deployment of low-emission and electric port equipment. Under PAT’s Green Port Strategy, terminal operators at Laem Chabang are modernizing cargo-handling operations by introducing electric, automated, and energy-efficient systems to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while improving productivity. DP World reported deploying five electric internal transfer vehicles at its Laem Chabang operation in August 2025. The operator expected these vehicles to reduce carbon emissions by 60% compared with diesel alternatives (DP World, 2025). This is an operator forecast, not a measured 60% reduction in exhaust emissions or the terminal’s total Scope 1 emissions.

DP World has committed to converting its entire yard vehicle fleet to electric models by 2030, a transition the operator expects to reduce the terminal’s overall carbon footprint by approximately 12 percent relative to its 2022 baseline. On-site solar generation projects are underway and are intended to reduce reliance on grid electricity (DP World, 2025). Both are prospective.

Thailand’s decarbonization efforts are reinforced through targeted knowledge exchange facilitated by P4I. In June 2025, Thai port and transport leaders participated in a Maritime Decarbonization Technical Exchange in Melbourne (Partnerships for Infrastructure, n.d.), engaging with Australian experts on terminal electrification, automation, digitalization, and alternative fuel safety. These insights are shaping Thailand’s approach to cleaner marine fuels, electrified operations, and vessel technology adoption. Collectively, Thailand’s strategy demonstrates how coordinated planning, proven low-emission technologies, and international collaboration can support operational decarbonization within the port sector.