Concerns over power in South

BANGKOK, June 8 (TNA) - Concerned electricity officials are preparing to launch an intense campaign this week, urging the southerners to lower their power consumption during peak hours as the natural gas supply from the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area (JDA) A18 block needs to be repaired. A TNA reporter said ongoing campaign urging people in the South to reduce power consumption during peak hours from 6.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. daily failed to convince people to do so yesterday. Power consumption during the peak hour at 7.37 p.m. on Saturday was at about 2,291 megawatts in the South. The Chana power plant in the southern province of Songkhla which receives natural gas from the JDA will be repaired for maintenance 28 days, starting this Friday. Samerjai Suksumek, director of Energy Ministry’s Energy Policy and Planning Office, said 710 megawatts of electricity would be wiped out from the total production during the maintenance of the power plant. Only 2,300 megawatts would be left for consumption in the South during the maintenance period. (TNA)