On March 21, 2025, Meeting Room M119, National Metal and Materials Technology Center Building
The National Energy Technology Center (ENTEC) and the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), NSTDA, welcomed a delegation from Japan, including representatives from Chuo University, JETRO Bangkok, and the NEDO Asian Representative Office in Bangkok. The meeting focused on trends in lithium-ion batteries, electronic waste (e-waste), and solar panels. The event was led by Dr. Sumittra Charojrochkul, Executive Director of ENTEC and Dr. Pimpa Limthongkul Director of the Innovation Energy Research group at ENTEC, along with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Toemsak Srikhirin, Executive Director of MTEC and Dr. Asira Fuongfuchat, Deputy Executive Director of MTEC. The discussions featured presentations on ENTEC’s battery and energy storage innovations, as well as the Solar Sure system for repurposing used solar panels. This presentation garnered significant interest from Professor So Sasaki of Chuo University.
During the meeting, Dr. Pimpa highlighted the management of end-of-life batteries and direct recycling processes designed to recover and reuse materials from spent batteries. Dr. Amornrat Limmanee, Solar Photovoltaic Research Team Leader, then shared the details about the SolarSure system, which involves registering, inspecting, tracking, and screening used solar panels for potential reuse.
Dr. Nattanai Kunanusont, a researcher from the Energy Storage Technology Research Team, also contributed to the discussions, alongside researchers, experts, and engineers from MTEC’s Environmental Research Group and Ceramics and Construction Materials Research Group. These teams presented their ongoing research on the Circular Economy and the SmartCircular approach to managing plastic waste.
Following the discussions, the Japanese delegation toured the Solar Photovoltaic Research Laboratory, hosted by Dr. Amornrat and her team, and the Energy Storage Technology Laboratory, guided by Dr. Nattanai. The visitors showed keen interest and exchanged ideas that could lead to future research and development collaborations
