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Thailand Approves $29 Billion Investment Wave as Data Center Demand Surges

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Thailand

TikTok leads new BOI approvals as Thailand moves to strengthen power readiness, clean energy access and fast-track strategic investment
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 May 2026 – Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) has approved six major projects worth a combined 958 billion baht, or approximately USD 29 billion, led by a large-scale data infrastructure expansion by TikTok System (Thailand) Co., Ltd., underscoring the country’s growing role as a regional hub for data centers, cloud services and AI-driven digital infrastructure.

The approvals were made at a BOI Board meeting chaired by Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. The Board also approved a second batch of projects under the Thailand FastPass mechanism and discussed with energy agencies steps to strengthen electricity readiness and improve access to clean energy — two increasingly important factors in attracting large-scale digital and high-technology investment.

Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the BOI, said the latest approvals reflect growing investor confidence in Thailand at a time when global companies are racing to expand digital infrastructure across Asia.

“Amid continuing global volatility, investment in Thailand’s digital and advanced technology sectors continues to grow, reflecting investor confidence in the country’s potential as a regional technology hub,” Mr. Narit said. “For Thailand to capture this new investment cycle, we must be ready not only with investment incentives, but also with sufficient power, clean-energy options, skilled talent, deeper supply chains and a reliable facilitation system that allows projects to move quickly from approval to operation.”

Of the six approved projects, three are in data center and data hosting services, with a combined investment value of 913 billion baht, or approximately USD 27 billion.

The largest project is by TikTok System (Thailand) Co., Ltd., valued at 842 billion baht, or approximately USD 25 billion. The project will install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao Province, supporting rising demand for digital services and strengthening Thailand’s role in regional digital infrastructure.

Beyond its core infrastructure investment, TikTok has also committed to developing digital literacy and e-commerce curricula to help create new business opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs and strengthen the country’s digital workforce.

Another approved project is a 46 billion baht, or USD 1.4 billion, data center investment by Skyline Data Center and Cloud Services Co., Ltd., part of the UAE-based DAMAC Group. Located in Chachoengsao, the project will support an IT load of 200 megawatts.

A third data center project, by Bridge Data Centres IIO (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. from Singapore, was approved with an investment value of 24.6 billion baht, or USD 746 million. Located in Chonburi, the project will support an IT load of 134 megawatts.

The remaining approved projects cover renewable energy, circular economy and resource-based industries. PureCycle (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. will invest 8.18 billion baht, or USD 248 million, in recycled plastic pellet production in Rayong, using technology exclusively licensed from P&G, with Thailand serving as a key production base for the Asian market. Dan Khun Thot Wind One Co., Ltd. will invest 4.7 billion baht, or USD 143 million, in an 89-megawatt wind power generation project in Nakhon Ratchasima. ASEAN Potash Chaiyaphum Plc. will invest 31.4 billion baht, or USD 952 million, in potassium chloride production in Chaiyaphum, producing a key input for potash fertilizer.

To accelerate project implementation, the BOI Board also selected nine additional projects worth 52 billion baht, or USD 1.6 billion, for Thailand FastPass, following the first batch of 16 projects. The latest selection brings the FastPass portfolio to 25 projects, with a combined investment value of 223 billion baht, or USD 6.8 billion.

The FastPass mechanism is designed to streamline approval and permitting procedures, speed up coordination among relevant agencies — including the BOI, the Department of Industrial Works, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, the Customs Department and power-related agencies — and help strategic projects begin operations faster.

At the same meeting, the Board outlined steps to strengthen electricity readiness with the Ministry of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission, focusing on urgent power supply needs for incoming investment, particularly in the Eastern region. The Board also directed action on accelerating the issuance of Thailand’s Power Development Plan (PDP) to support future demand, new energy technologies and long-term power-system planning.

The Board also advanced plans for clean energy mechanisms, including Direct Renewable Power Purchase Agreements, or Direct PPA, which would allow private companies to buy and sell renewable electricity directly, with participation criteria and grid-service charges to be announced shortly. The Board also acknowledged the launch of Utility Green Tariff 2, or UGT2, a source-specific green tariff designed to give companies more options for procuring clean electricity.

The Board also tasked the BOI with coordinating with relevant agencies to consider regulatory improvements that would facilitate clean energy investment, including easing power-generation licensing conditions for foreign operators installing solar rooftops, and clarifying rules to support self-generation under Independent Power Supply, or IPS, arrangements.

Mr. Narit said the combination of large-scale digital investment, power readiness, clean energy access, skilled talent and faster investment facilitation is central to Thailand’s competitiveness in the next phase of global investment.

“Thailand is entering a new investment cycle in which speed, power readiness, clean energy access and skilled talent will be decisive,” he said. “The BOI is working with partner agencies to ensure that major projects can move from approval to operation as quickly as possible, while strengthening the infrastructure, workforce, supply chains and ecosystem needed for long-term growth in the digital economy.”

USD conversion based on an estimated exchange rate of 33 baht per USD.

Business

From Ancient Delicacy to Global Trend: The Industrial Upgrade and Global Journey of Ningxia Goji Berries

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Ningxia Goji Berries

ZHONGWEI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 16 June 2026 – Lush plantations glitter across the sun-drenched Yellow River alluvial plain at an elevation of 1,100 meters on the eastern flank of the Helan Mountains. This is Zhongning County in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located in northwestern China. As the opening ceremony of the 9th Goji Berry Industry Expo officially kicks off on June 14th here, farmers are busy harvesting the first goji berries of 2026.

Ningxia Goji Berries

While goji berries are widely cultivated across China, Ningxia goji berries stand out for their exceptional quality and have become the region’s most iconic specialty. As the core producing area of authentic Ningxia goji berries, also known as wolfberries, Zhongning enjoys over 3,000 hours of annual sunlight. The weakly alkaline soil, formed by the convergence of the Yellow River and Qingshui River, is rich in essential minerals and trace elements. These unique natural conditions have given birth to this distinctive “Magic Fruit.”

“Every single goji berry is hand-picked,” said Pan Tai’an, chairman of Ningxia Wolfberry Goji Industry Co., Ltd., a leading regional goji producer. “The goji trees blossom and bear fruit simultaneously, which means all berries must be harvested manually.”

“Thanks to Ningxia’s cool climate, pests and diseases are rare here. Still, we never use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We only apply organic compost to guarantee the pure, natural quality of our goji berries,” he added.

From a Local Specialty to a Health and Lifestyle Trend

In China, Ningxia goji berries have been treasured as a medicinal and edible delicacy. It is the only goji variety officially listed for medicinal use in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. The ancient Chinese medical masterpiece, the Shennong Ben Cao Jing (Classic of Materia Medica), documents their anti-aging properties. This profound cultural heritage has laid a solid foundation for Ningxia goji berries to enter international markets.

Today, this ancient red berry has gained unprecedented global popularity. Boasting powerful anti-aging benefits, high vitamin C content, and abundant antioxidants, Ningxia goji berries have become a trending “superfood” on international social media. Overseas consumers are willing to pay a premium for authentic Ningxia products, freeing the berry from its former identity as a niche, rustic specialty.

“Western researchers have long been studying the health benefits of goji berries, including immune enhancement, anti-tumor effects, and anti-aging properties. They call it a ‘superfood’ and extract its active ingredients for use in health supplements and cosmetics,” Pan Tai’an explains. “This inspired me to focus on deep processing, because that’s where the real value lies.”

For decades, the industry was held back by two major bottlenecks: the extreme perishability of fresh berries and underdeveloped deep-processing technology. To address these issues, the company invested six years in intensive R&D and successfully developed ambient-temperature preservation technology for goji puree. This pioneering breakthrough fills a technical gap and sets world-leading standards for the global goji industry.

To retain precious nutrients, fresh goji berries go through cleaning, pulping, sterilization and canning within two hours after harvest. This rigorous workflow best preserves key nutrients including goji polysaccharides, betaine and zeaxanthin to the greatest extent possible.

Powered by this core innovation, the company has produced over 100,000 tons of goji puree, with total sales exceeding 2 billion yuan (about 293 million U.S. dollars). More importantly, the technology has driven the construction of 50 high-standard production lines across Ningxia, marking a decisive shift – transforming the regional industry from raw material sales to high-value product manufacturing.

According to the latest data provided by the Goji Industry Development Center of the Ningxia Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ningxia’s goji marketing network covers more than 50 countries and regions spanning Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In 2025, Ningxia’s fresh goji berry output reached 200,000 tons, with the full industrial chain output value exceeding 21.3 billion yuan.

From Product Upgrade to a Global Cultural Brand

While technology-driven companies like Ningxia Wolfberry are deepening their presence in international supply chains, emerging players in the goji industry are reshaping the consumer perception of goji berries as “just a traditional medicinal herb.” As a leader in e-commerce, Ningxia Qilixiang Goji Co., Ltd. is dedicated to promoting this traditional tonic to the younger generation. Founded in 2009 by three university students with a startup fund of just 700 yuan from their living allowances, the company has now grown into a top-tier brand with annual sales exceeding 1 billion yuan.

To transform traditional wellness into a trendy lifestyle, Qilixiang has developed a variety of blended purees – such as goji-ginseng, red date-goji, and mulberry-goji – all paired with eye-catching packaging. Operating about 200 online stores, the company has consistently ranked first in e-commerce sales for goji products.

These Innovative, high-value-added products derived from goji berries – including goji puree, goji seed oil, and goji juice – are now enjoying immense global demand. Once viewed as a mysterious Chinese herbal remedy, Ningxia goji berries have now become part of daily life for middle-class families from New York to London, a favorite among Hollywood celebrities, and a common ingredient in premium restaurants worldwide.

The international reputation is built on rigorous quality control. To meet the highest global food safety standards for organic products, Ningxia goji companies adhere to the world’s most stringent regulations. For instance, Ningxia Wolfberry has held organic certifications from North America, the European Union and Japan for 21 consecutive years, earning a “green pass” to the global market. To date, its products have been exported to 33 countries and regions worldwide.

Today, Ningxia’s goji industry is no longer confined to production and sales; it is gradually embracing a diversified development model. With the establishment of goji art galleries, history museums, and experience centers, the industry is shifting from merely “selling products” to “selling scenery” and “selling culture,” growing into a multi-faceted and integrated economic driver.

The transformation of Ningxia goji berries reflects the progress and the rise of Chinese products and brands. It has evolved from a little-known northwest specialty and low-end raw material exporter into a global health trend and a modern, diversified industry fueled by technology, creativity, and culture. This journey mirrors the broader transformation of China’s traditional agriculture and the innovative drive of its real economy.

 

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Energy

Geoex MCG Named Official Geosciences Partner of Venezuela Energy Week 2026 in Landmark Subsurface Collaboration

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Etu Energias

Geoex MCG, a global subsurface geoscience and data solutions provider, has been appointed Official Geosciences Partner for Venezuela Energy Week, bringing technical depth and geological credibility to discussions surrounding one of Latin America’s most significant hydrocarbon resource bases

CARACAS, Venezuela, June 15, 2026/APO Group/ –Venezuela Energy Week 2026 has appointed Geoex MCG as its Official Geosciences Partner, in a move designed to strengthen the technical foundation of discussions around the country’s vast hydrocarbon basins as upstream activity and international engagement continue to evolve.

Geoex MCG holds a unique position in Venezuela’s upstream sector as the sole provider of offshore seismic data and the only company operating under a multi-client agreement with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons. Its newly reprocessed offshore datasets are currently available for licensing, with plans underway for new data acquisition from 2026 onward to further support exploration and development activities.

The partnership brings a leading subsurface geoscience and geophysical solutions provider into the core of the event’s technical program at a time when Venezuela is seeking to reframe its upstream narrative around data quality, geological certainty and investable resource definition.

“This partnership underscores the growing role of subsurface science in shaping investment decisions and operational strategy across Venezuela’s upstream sector,” said James Chester, CEO of Energy Capital & Power. “It brings greater geological and geophysical rigor at a pivotal moment for the industry, helping bridge the gap between resource potential and subsurface certainty.”

This partnership underscores the growing role of subsurface science in shaping investment decisions and operational strategy across Venezuela’s upstream sector

 

Geoex MCG’s participation is expected to enhance technical discussions on Venezuela’s basin evolution, seismic imaging quality, prospectivity assessment and development of offshore fields. With their newly reprocessed data, exploration in the underexplored frontier areas of the offshore can now be evaluated, as well as improved imaging of existing fields, namely Perla, Rio Caribe/Mejillones/Patao/Dragon and Loran/Cocuina.

 

“Venezuela represents a highly significant subsurface province, where geological potential is well established but increasingly dependent on modern, high-quality data to unlock value,” said Robert Sorley, President, Geoex MCG LLC. “Supported by our exclusive multi-client agreement with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, a growing portfolio of datasets reprocessed in partnership with DUG Technology, and plans for new acquisition, our focus is to enable international explorers to evaluate offshore opportunities with confidence. We are pleased to support Venezuela Energy Week 2026 by strengthening the technical dialogue and bringing greater subsurface clarity to investment and development discussions.”

 

Geoex MCG specializes in the design and delivery of geoscientific surveys, subsurface data acquisition, seismic reprocessing and project management services, supporting exploration and development activities across oil and gas, CCUS, natural hydrogen and other energy sectors. Through its asset-light business model, the company works with selected contractors to deliver tailored subsurface solutions aligned with clients’ technical and commercial objectives.

 

As Venezuela seeks to attract renewed international investment, Venezuela Energy Week is positioning itself as a leading technical and commercial platform where geology, data and capital converge, supporting dialogue on investment frameworks, upstream development and the long-term future of one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon resource bases.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Backs US$7 Billion Dangote Fertiliser Expansion to Strengthen Africa’s Food Security

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Africa Finance Corporation

The transaction deepens AFC’s longstanding partnership with Dangote Group across some of Africa’s most consequential industrial projects

LAGOS, Nigeria, June 15, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s infrastructure solutions provider, is helping drive a US$7 billion fertiliser expansion programme by Dangote Group designed to triple production capacity in Nigeria and establish a major new manufacturing platform in Ethiopia.

As a cornerstone commitment to the programme, AFC is providing a US$600 million facility to Greenview Fertiliser Corp. (Greenview), Dangote’s fertiliser holding company. The transaction deepens AFC’s longstanding partnership with Dangote Group across some of Africa’s most consequential industrial projects. AFC was Co-Coordinating Bank on a US$3 billion syndicated loan for Dangote Refinery and recently received full repayment of its foundational US$300 million senior term loan to Dangote Industries Limited, which helped advance the refinery from concept to reality. The redeployment at double this amount into Dangote Group underscores AFC’s model of providing early-stage risk capital before recycling into the next generation of transformative projects once assets reach stable, cash-generative operations.

The fertiliser investment positions Africa to get ahead of structural trends shaping long-term development priorities, including rapid population growth, rising food demand, climate-related pressures on agricultural systems and the need to capture greater value from natural resources. Recent disruptions to global supply chains and commodity markets have further underscored the risks associated with dependence on imported agricultural inputs. Despite holding some of the world’s largest natural gas reserves and a quarter of its uncultivated arable land, Africa remains reliant on imported fertilizer, making expanded production critical to food security and agricultural resilience.

By supporting the development of the world’s largest fertiliser platform, AFC is helping build the foundation for Africa to feed itself

Dangote’s expansion programme is projected to increase urea fertiliser production capacity in Nigeria from 3 million metric tonnes per annum (“MTPA”) to 9 MTPA, while adding a new 3 MTPA urea fertiliser plant in Ethiopia. It is expected to strengthen regional food security, support agricultural productivity, reduce dependence on imported fertilizer and bolster the continent’s position as a supplier to international markets.

Commenting on the transaction, Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, said: “This investment marks another important milestone in our long-standing partnership with AFC as we embark on the next phase of Dangote Fertilizer’s growth. Expanding our fertiliser production capacity in Nigeria and developing a new plant in Ethiopia will strengthen Africa’s food security, support agricultural productivity, and deepen the continent’s industrial base. AFC has consistently supported Dangote Group at critical stages of our growth, and its renewed commitment reflects confidence in our vision to build globally competitive African industrial platforms”.

Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC, said: “The question before Africa is simple: how will we feed 2.5 billion people by 2050? Africa’s 1.5 billion people consume just 6 million tonnes of urea annually, compared to 40 million tonnes in India and 50 million tonnes in China, despite having similar-sized populations. Closing this productivity gap is essential to Africa’s food security. By supporting the development of the world’s largest fertiliser platform, AFC is helping build the foundation for Africa to feed itself, create productive jobs and strengthen our economic sovereignty. This is not just an investment in fertilizer production. It is evidence of the Africa we are building.”

AFC has played a catalytic role across multiple phases of Dangote Group’s industrial growth, partnering with Access Bank in 2024 to provide Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE’s first working capital facility, supporting crude procurement for commissioning and initial production.

The latest financing reflects AFC’s focus on investments that strengthen the systems underpinning long-term economic growth, including energy, transport, logistics, industrial processing and food security. Alongside investments in strategic transport corridors, ports, power generation and industrial platforms, AFC continues to support projects that increase Africa’s capacity to produce, process and distribute critical goods domestically while expanding exports to regional and international markets.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

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