The Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA) has set out a fresh phase of its decarbonisation strategy, naming five implementation pillars, dubbed the “5 Engines to Net Zero”, that will underpin the sector’s push toward Net Zero 2050. Announced under the strategy title “The NEXT Chapter to Net Zero 2050” and the theme “Accelerating Collaborative Action towards Net Zero 2050”, the initiative brings together policy, technology, energy, circular economy and digitalisation into a single implementation framework. The move is positioned as the next stage of Thailand’s cement industry commitment under the Thailand 2050 Net Zero Cement and Concrete Roadmap. TCMA frames the plan as a shift in identity for the sector, from bulk producer to what it calls a Climate Solution Partner. The announcement comes as Thailand’s cement makers face mounting climate pressure alongside intensifying global competition.
A New Chapter For Thai Cement
TCMA describes “The NEXT Chapter” as a turning point for an industry that has traditionally been judged on volume and cost, now recalibrating around a different set of priorities. The association’s leadership has framed the shift around a guiding principle for the sector’s future direction, balancing commercial performance with emissions reduction.
Mr. Surachai Nimla-or, Chairman of TCMA, stated that “The NEXT Chapter” represents a critical inflection point for the industry, guided by the principle of being:
“competitive, growth-oriented, and low-carbon”
Five Engines Driving The Transition
The strategy rests on five defined engines. Policy covers carbon governance frameworks, including carbon pricing, emissions trading systems and green procurement, paired with standards and incentives intended to build an enabling investment environment. Transition focuses on low-carbon technologies across the value chain, among them calcined clay cement, new supplementary cementitious materials, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage, developed through international collaboration.
Energy targets a greater share of clean power and alternative fuels while lifting production efficiency to cut reliance on fossil fuels. Circular promotes the circular economy through co-processing in cement kilns, using waste as an alternative input to reduce landfill volumes and emissions. Digital & AI is aimed at system-wide efficiency, sharpening precision, cutting energy use and lifting productivity through digital tools and artificial intelligence.
Taken together, TCMA presents the five engines as an integrated implementation model rather than a set of standalone initiatives, designed to connect regulatory levers with technology deployment and investment flow.
Mr. Surachai Nimla-or, Chairman of TCMA, said:
“The core of ‘The NEXT Chapter’ is ‘accelerating collaborative action’; connecting policy, technology, and investment to deliver measurable and scalable impact,”
Testing Ground In Saraburi
Central to how TCMA intends to prove out these engines is the continuation of SARABURI SANDBOX, a low-carbon city pilot the association has already been developing. The sandbox functions as a testing ground where innovative technologies and mechanisms can be trialled at city scale before any wider rollout is considered. TCMA has indicated the intention is to validate approaches in Saraburi first, then scale successful models to the national and regional level, giving the sector a controlled environment in which to de-risk new low-carbon methods before broader deployment.
From Producer To Solution Provider
TCMA characterises the rollout of the 5 Engines to Net Zero as evidence of a broader identity shift within the industry, moving away from a traditional production-focused model toward a role centred on solving climate problems. The association positions this transition as reinforcing the cement sector’s standing as a key contributor to Thailand’s pathway to Net Zero 2050, tying commercial competitiveness directly to emissions performance rather than treating the two as separate goals. With policy, technology, energy, circular economy and digital tools now folded into one framework, TCMA’s next test will be translating the five engines from strategy into measurable output across Thailand’s cement value chain.
