Plants will cost more

The power plants in Wang Noi and Bang Pakong, which were estimated to cost Bt32 billion, now require Bt45 billion, said Egat governor Sombat Santijaree.

Each of the plants can generate 800 megawatts.

Egat plans to open construction bids for the plants by mid-year and construction could begin next year.

Sombat also noted that electricity bills for the June-September round could be raised as Egat would need to shoulder some costs from disrupted gas transmissions from Burma. During the disruption, Egat resorted to bunker oil.

Sombat said that at the end of this month Egat would present a summary on bunker oil consumption in March and April to the fuel management committee chaired by Energy Ministry deputy permanent secretary Norkhun Sittipong.

In April, when cracks on the gas pipelines were found, Egat consumed 150 million litres of bunker oil, which is more expensive than natural gas.

The fuel tariff in the February-May round is 68.86 satang per unit, up 2.75 satang from the previous four-month round due to higher prices of natural gas and bunker oil.

Sombat said electricity purchase from Laos could be behind schedule as Nam Nguem, Nam Ngieb and Nam Thuen 1 power plants may only be able to sell the output to Thailand in the next one to two years.