Thailand prepares measures ahead of Myanmar gas supply cut

BANGKOK, Feb 24 (TNA) - Thailand’s Sirikit Dam in the northeastern province of Uttaradit has prepared measures on discharging water stored at the dam in the wake of possible insufficient electricity supply in the country in April when Myanmar temporarily suspends gas supplies for routine maintenance at its Yanada gas field, said Thanarat Phummakasikorn, director of the Sirikit Dam. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has said that the temporary suspension of natural gas supplies to Thailand from April 5-14 would create insufficient electricity supply to people in Thailand during the period because Myanmar’s natural gas could produce about 6,400 megawatts of electricity per day in Thailand. There might be power blackout especially in Bangkok and some parts of the South on April 5, the day that electric consumption is expected to reach its peak in Thailand, according to Miss Yingluck. Echoing the prime minister’s remarks, Mr. Thanarat said the state-run EGAT Public Co., Ltd. has prepared measures to cope with possible blackout and for the people to receive minimum impact by temporarily using diesel and bunker oil as substitution. Water stored at Sirikit Dam used for producing electricity presently is much lower than the corresponding period of last year, he said. Normally, the dam could help produce a maximum of 500,000 kilowatts of electricity but water stored at the dam and could be used for generating electricity is only at 1,646 million cubic metres, down from 5,030 million cubic metres from the same period in 2012. Mr. Thanarat said the sharp drop of water at the dam is attributed to lesser rainfall as Sirikit Dam now could take in only two million cubic metres of rainwater daily while the dam has to discharge at the average of 25 million cubic metres of water during the dry season. Water stored at the dam during April will drop further while public demand for electricity rises and the best solution is that people should help conserve energy in the country, he added. (TNA)