EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES IN THAILAND’S DAIRY COLD CHAIN

This report analyzes the energy consumption and efficiency opportunities within Thailand's dairy cold chain, focusing on raw milk transportation, pasteurized milk processing, and the School Milk Programme. It identifies significant potential for energy savings through the adoption of best practices, electrification of transport, and the integration of renewable energy.

• Thailand is the largest producer and exporter of dairy products in ASEAN, with milk consumption of approximately 1.2 million tonnes in 2022 and annual exports of about 300,000 tonnes, 95 percent of which are milk drinks like yoghurt and UHT milk.
• The School Milk Programme, introduced in 1992, is a major driver of demand, accounting for more than 30 percent of total market demand by providing free 200 ml portions of non-flavoured milk to students in 34,000 public schools.
• Pasteurized milk processing in Thailand could achieve energy savings of up to 30 percent by adopting best practices and integrating renewable energy, such as rooftop solar PV.
• Refrigerated transport for the dairy cold chain is energy-intensive, consuming over 19 million litres of diesel annually. Efficiency could be improved by optimizing the goods-to-load weight ratio and transitioning to electric trucks (e-Trucks).
• Non-refrigerated distribution using ice buckets for school milk could see 37 percent energy savings through efficiency upgrades in ice-making processes, though switching to refrigerated vehicles is recommended for further reductions.
• Cold storage capacity in Thailand is highly concentrated, with approximately 70 percent located in three provinces: Samut Prakan (32.9 percent), Chonburi (23.9 percent), and Ayutthaya (13.3 percent).
• Data regarding cold chain operations in the Thai dairy sector is fragmented and lacks a central database, which hinders effective planning and monitoring.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES IN THAILAND’S DAIRY COLD CHAIN. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-11/SEforALL_Dairy-Cold-Chain-in-Thailand.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES IN THAILAND’S DAIRY COLD CHAIN. n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-11/SEforALL_Dairy-Cold-Chain-in-Thailand.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES IN THAILAND’S DAIRY COLD CHAIN |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-11/SEforALL_Dairy-Cold-Chain-in-Thailand.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndefficiency, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES IN THAILAND’S DAIRY COLD CHAIN}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-11/SEforALL_Dairy-Cold-Chain-in-Thailand.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }