NCPO monitors energy security in Thai South during gas supply disruption

BANGKOK, June 16 (TNA) - The army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has monitored energy security in the Thai South during the ongoing gas supply suspension from the Thailand-Malaysia Joint Development Area (JDA) in the Gulf of Thailand from June 13-July 10, 2014. Accompanied by Energy Ministry executives, NCPO Deputy Chief Air Chief Marshal Prachin Chantong, who oversees economic affairs, on Monday visited Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in the Thai South, where he inspected and monitored Khanom Power Plant and Khanom Gas Separation Plant, as well as a private-run biogas power plant to prevent any power blackout during the 28-day gas supply disruption from the JDA-A18 well for maintenance by PTT Public Company Limited (PTT). The NCPO deputy chief's field trip was also aimed to ensure energy security in 14 southern Thai provinces during the period. Reports said that power demand in the Thai south reached 2,286 megawatts on Sunday, but Thailand has bought about 142 megawatts of electricity per day from Malaysia, along with supplementary power supply from the central region, to meet local power demand.(TNA)