Government mulls to set up new coal-fired power plant in Thai South

BANGKOK, November 20 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Energy, is considering to open a new coal-fired power plant in the country's southern region, with a final decision on the project expected to be announced by mid-2019. Nantika Thangsuphanich, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Energy Business, in her capacity as the chairperson of the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) panel of the project, told journalists on November 19 that her panel has assigned the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) to conduct an SEA paper as an advisory institution of the project. Nantika said her department will sign a contract with NIDA on the assignment in Bangkok early next month, with the result of the SEA expected to be known by April-May 2019. According to the senior official, the result of the SEA will be included in the Thai government's revised power development plan (PDP). "The government will then lay out a policy on the development and the acquirement of power sources for the Thai South based on the revised PDP so that any new power production project would be efficient and acceptable to the public", the senior official explained. (TNA)