การศึกษาต้นทุนการผลิตแอลกอฮอล์จากพืชผลทางการเกษตร เพื่อใช้เป็นเชื้อเพลิง / มัญชรี ฉันทศาสตร์โกศล = A study on the cost of production of alcohol as fuel from agricultural produce / Muncharee Chantasatekosol
Each year Thailand has a great deficit on foreign exchange especially in importing crude oil for domestic consumption which costs annually about 30-40% of Budget Revenue. The sharp rise on world price becomes an immediate problem for the Government and prompts it to search for other resources of energy for future substitution. Fortunately, a study reveals that using energy deriving from alcohol to remedy the future oil crisis is quite possible. This thesis is a study on the cost of production of alcohol as fuel from agricultural produce. This includes 4 study cases depending on the types of material used e.g. sugarcanes, cassavas, molasses and mixed raw materials. Problems facing the production of alcohol as fuel from such raw materials are also studied. The result of the study reveals that the cost of producing alcohol from sugarcane is 9.80 Baht per litre, while the cost per litre of production from cassavas, molasses and mixed raw materials is 7.03, 6.23 and 7.38 Bahts respectively. The study also reveals that the high cost of production is due to high cost of raw material even though most of Thai plantation areas are good for planting sugarcanes and cassavas. This is due to the fact that the price of our agricultural produces is based on world price. When the price of such agricultural produces is high, the cost of production of alcohol from such agricultural produces is affected. To solve this problem, the Government should set up a definite policy to control price of both sugarcanes and cassavas by means of controlling excessive fluctuation in production in the country since it leads to wastage and unemployment in the related industry. Alcohol is presently sold by Government enterprise so alcohol producers face problems in marketing. Investors in alcohol producing are also not certain about customers consumption, excise tax rates, promotion privileges, nor the Government policy as regards the rate of mixture between alcohol and benzene There are the main obstacles to investment. To solve these problems Government’s clear policy as regards law concerning the production and sales of alcohol is needed, while better accommodation on excise tax rate of alcohol production and higher tax rate on Benzine engines will give encouragement to alcohol producers. At the same time the Government should develop both technology trained personnel for future requirements in alcohol production.