Three options on a plan for developing the Kingdom's energy output will be proposed at a public hearing next Wednesday, says an Energy Ministry source.

The source said the plan, under the responsibility of the ministry, had been finalised and that Energy officials would seek approval at a public hearing to be held next Wednesday.

The plan has been created under the assumption that growth in domestic demand for power will surge 5.95 per cent annually (1,412 megawatts) from 2007-11, 6 per cent (1,902.6MW) annually from 2012-16 and 5.51 per cent (2,315.2MW) annually from 2017-21.

The source said the plan - called Thailand's Power Development Plan 2007 - comprised three main scenarios.

First is the lowest expenditure option. A second option is designed so that the period of 2007-2011 is subject to increased power generation, while the third includes nuclear power plants.

The source said the first option proposed a time frame of purchasing power totalling 1,700MW from independent power producers during the period 2012-2020. The first coal-fuelled power plant will also supply the system in 2014.

Following this option, new power plants supplying the market during 2011-2021 will be natural gas-fuelled power plants for a total of 3,500MW, coal-fuelled power plants for 21,700MW, diesel-fuelled for 230MW, and small power plants (SPPs) for 1,700MW. It includes the purchase of power from overseas for a combined 5,177MW.

During this period, there will be a total increase of power generation of 32,207MW.

For the second option, there will be new plants entering the market for a total of 32,307MW of power. They will be divided into gas-fuelled power plants with a total of 20,400MW, coal-fuelled with 2,800MW, diesel-fuelled with 230MW and SPPs with 1,700MW.

Under the third option, there will be a total increase of power generation of 32,877MW. Of this, about 3,500MW will be from gas-fuelled power plants, 17,500MW from coal-fuelled, 5,000MW from nuclear power and 1,700MW from SPPs.

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