Thailand's biodiesel development plan will likely be delayed by two years, as farmers are insufficiently encouraged to grow palm trees or other plants that could be used to make the alternate energy source. At the same time, the Energy Ministry prefers to wait for a research study from Chiang Mai University.

The ministry has been given a Bt50-million budget to promote biodiesel fuel.

Since May 2005, the university has been assigned to conduct an integrated study on oil-crop plantations and oil extraction. Both the agriculture and the energy ministries prefer to wait for the results before officially promoting the crops.

"More plantations would increase crude palm-oil supply. But we need to be clear if the government should promote plantations in the North and the Northeast and if so, what kind of seedlings should be promoted," said Metta Banterngsook, designated director-general of the Energy Business Department. "Though we might need to wait for a year or two, it's better than promoting now just to change it later." He said the delay would minimise risks to farmers as well as state agencies involved with the development.

The Thaksin government initiated a plan to mix agricultural extracts with diesel in a 1:9 ratio for sale throughout the country within 2012. The plan required 8.5 million litres of biodiesel per day and that needed additional palm plantations. 

Under the new government, Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand earlier said these targets were unrealistically high and the plan needed to be revised.

Somjet Pratummin, an official of the Agriculture Ministry, said that the development plan could be delayed by two to three years as now the total plantation area is less than 100,000 rai. "Farmers do not have the motive due to funding shortages," he said.

Somjet said his ministry was discussing with related agencies ways to revise the plan. But he said that it had no policy to promote the planting of palm trees outside the South, where yields are high, in the two years. "We will change our mind only if the research says otherwise," he said.

Meanwhile, to promote alternative energy and reduce waste, Piyasvasti is also pushing for power generation from waste matter.

Thailand has to deal with at least 40,000 tonnes of waste on a daily basis. In Bangkok, only 10 per cent is turned into organic fertilisers while the proportion in the provinces is 40 per cent.

There are six waste power plants. Three of them - in Phuket, Samut Prakan and Rayong - have passed testing, and have a combined capacity of 4.125 megawatts. The capacity of the remaining three is 1.89MW.

Energy Reporters 

The Nation