Thailand moves to coal and renewables

• 11 years ago (2013-02-23)
• Junior Isles

North America 999

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A report from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has stated that Thailand will look to develop new coal-fired power plants and increase the use of renewables as gas reserves in the country decrease.

Thai authorities should also aim to deploy clean coal technologies to help reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, the report claims.

The Egat report stated the country aims to have 25 per cent of its generation mix coming from renewable sources within the next 10 years.

Using imported coal to fuel power plants is the best option for Thailand to provide reliable energy to the grid, said Egat spokesperson Pongdit Potejana.

Current gas drilling operations in the Gulf of Thailand will need replacing in a decade as the gas reserves run dry, according to the report.

"This will affect the security of our power supply. Using imported liquefied natural gas, which costs double that of natural gas, will push power tariffs to rise," said Potejana.

"The most appropriate solution is to find other fuels such as coal as a substitute for gas. These fuels should make the power system more sustainable with low tariff rates."