Village Scale

1. Warehouse Size & Specification

Functional Role

• Primary aggregation point for rice straw, sugarcane leaves, and crop residues

• Seasonal buffer storage to smooth supply volatility

• Pre-processing (drying, sorting, baling interface)

Physical Specifications

• Covered floor area: 800–1,200 m²

• Clear height: 6–8 meters

• Storage capacity: 500–1,000 tons/year (loose biomass equivalent)

• Typical land requirement: 1.5–2.0 rai (≈ 2,400–3,200 m²)

Structural Design

• Structure type: Steel frame, open-sided or semi-open

• Columns: Hot-dip galvanized steel (spacing 6–8 m)

• Roof: Corrugated metal sheet with heat-reflective coating

• Roof slope: ≥ 10% (monsoon-optimized)

• Flooring:

  • Reinforced concrete (100–150 mm), or

  • Stabilized lateritic soil (low-cost rural option)

• Ventilation: Natural cross-ventilation (no mechanical systems required)

Indicative CAPEX

• THB 2.0 – 3.5 million per warehouse

2. Equipment Specification

Village-scale warehouses are intentionally designed with minimal mechanization to reduce capex, maintenance, and operational complexity.

Core Equipment

• Tractor access ramps and loading bays

• Manual or hydraulic pallet jacks

• Moisture-control ventilation openings

• Fire-break zoning and temperature monitoring points

Optional / Shared Equipment (Cluster Level)

• Mobile baler (shared across villages)

• Forklift (shared or leased)

• Weighing system (mobile or nearby central station)

Operational Model

• Operated by community enterprise staff

• Equipment financed through concessional farmer loans (GSB / BAAC)

• No proprietary technology or licensing risk

3. Return on Investment (ROI)

Village-scale biomass warehouses are not designed as standalone high-margin assets, but as cash-generating enablers with strong strategic value.

Revenue Streams

1. Biomass handling & storage fee

   • THB 150–300 / ton

2. Biomass resale margin (to compost plants or power plants)

   • THB 100–200 / ton

3. Optional community service contracts

   • Municipal clean-air or residue-management support

Annual Throughput Assumption

• 700–900 tons/year

Indicative Annual Revenue

• THB 180,000 – 400,000

Operating Cost

• Labor, maintenance, utilities: THB 80,000 – 120,000 / year

Indicative EBITDA

• THB 100,000 – 280,000 / year

Metric Range (Per Warehouse)

CAPEX THB 2.0 – 3.5 million

EBITDA Margin 45–65%

Payback Period 6–9 years

Warehouse Lifespan 15-20 years

IRR (Standalone) 8–12%

IRR (Platform-Integrated) 15–20%+

Village-scale biomass warehouses offer:

• Early deployment (no power permits required)

• Low technical and regulatory risk

• Immediate ESG impact (PM₂.₅ reduction, farmer income)

• Strategic leverage over much larger energy assets

• Optional exit via sale or roll-up into SPV / YieldCo

They are best viewed as infrastructure building blocks, not isolated real-estate investments.

When warehouses are bundled with compost plants and biomass power plants, their effective IRR increases materially through feedstock risk reduction, faster COD, and improved bankability of downstream assets.