Power in reserves up, says Thai Energy Minister

AUCKLAND (NEW ZEALAND), March 24 (TNA) - Thai Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal said he is confident there would not be a power blackout in Thailand next month when gas supplies from neighbouring Myanmar would be temporarily disrupted for routine maintenance on Yanada gas field following an increase of electricity in reserves in the country to 1,700 megawatts. Mr. Pongsak, now accompanying Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for official visits to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, told journalists that power reserves in Thailand have increased sharply from about 700 to 1,700 megawatts due to drastic consumption cut by government and private offices. The rise in reserves would be sufficient for consumption in the country in April. The government has earlier expressed concern there might be power blackout especially in Bangkok and some parts in the South on April 5, the day that electric consumption is expected to reach its peak in summer in Thailand. Anxieties grow after Myanmar announced that it would temporarily suspend its natural gas supplies to Thailand between April 5-14 due to routine maintenance on Yanada gas field. Mr. Pongsak said Thailand’s neighbour Vietnam is now constructing a nuclear-powered electricity plant and it plans to build four more in future while it would difficult to build such plant in Thailand due to fierce opposition from the public. He said his ministry is now looking for new alternative energy sources for Thailand. (TNA)