Thailand to build more coal-fired power plants

BANGKOK, October 28 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Energy, plans to build more coal-fired power plants to increase the proportion of their electricity generating to 30 per cent of all fuel-fired generating in the country in the future. Energy Minister Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee announced the plan on Tuesday, explaining that Thailand needs more coal-fired power plants to meet steadily growing electricity demand and the government's policy on raising the proportion of coal-fired generating to 30 per cent but cutting the proportion of gas-fired generating from 70 per cent to 30 per cent. Dr. Narongchai said, to meet the targets, it is needed to build an 800-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Krabi Province and another one in Songkhla Province, both are in the Thai South, as electricity supply in the region remains insecure and depends on power supply from neighboring Malaysia. Dr. Narongchai promised that the government will apply internationally-recognized clean coal-fired power plant technology to the newly-built plants. According to the energy minister, the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is convincing opponents of the new coal-fired power plant projects to turn to support the plans. Besides, Thailand will continue cooperating with neighboring countries in the energy sector, including buying electricity from Laos and Myanmar. The minister revealed that Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha will also discuss an energy cooperation project with Cambodia during his scheduled visit to Phnom Penh late this week. Under the project, the minister noted, Thailand has built power transmission cables to Cambodia and the Thai government plans to construct a coal-fired power plant in the neighboring country and buy its excess power for consumption in Thailand. (TNA)