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Published on October 6, 2007

President Visit Akaravinak said that Egco Group would continue to be a leader in investment in waste-powered electricity plant projects. The company will hold a 50-per-cent stake in each project, while PTT and Sepco-Asia Group will hold 35 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

"The power plants using waste will be built in 10 provinces, one plant in one province with a total investment of Bt15 billion," he said.

Visit added that the plan for expansion of power plants should start operation in the next eight years because it is a period that can enjoy the highest rate of electricity sales, priced at Bt5 per unit. In the following years, the electricity price will be quoted at Bt2.5 per unit.

He said power plants using waste would be built in large cities that have a large amount of waste and face the problem of removing it.

"The company is considering investing in two more waste-powered electricity plants, in Nonthaburi and Songkhla," said Visit, adding that both projects were now under feasibility study.

At a ceremony presided over by Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand, Egco signed the contract, along with PTT and Sepco Group, for construction of the waste-powered plant in Phuket.

Piyasvasti said the project would be finalised in the first quarter of next year and construction was expected to take around a year to a year and a half. The plant will have a production capacity of 20 megawatts of electricity a year.

Phuket has accumulated waste of approximately one million tonnes, with an increase of another 500 tonnes per day. The Phuket municipality can clear only 250 tonnes a day.

Watcharapong Thongrung,

The Nation