Joint bid for reduction in transport energy use

FTI deputy secretary-general Chen Namchaisiri yesterday said the MoU covered both a reduction in energy consumption and the promotion of efficient energy consumption within the sector.

The programme is aimed at cutting diesel consumption in the sector by 1.16 million litres by the end of the programme in 2011.

The FTI and the ministry will jointly set up a committee to select qualified operators for the programme.

They will send experts to advise qualified operators about energy reduction and help them adopt measures that will save energy.

Selected operators promoting efficient energy use will gain financial support in the amount of 30 per cent of their planned investment for improving energy use in their businesses but not exceeding Bt500,000 per operator for passenger transport and not exceeding Bt2 million per operator for goods transport.

Sittichod Wantawin, director of the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department, said |the country consumed 40.906 billion litres of refined oil last year, down 0.2 per cent from 2006. Of that total, 43.313 billion litres were imported.

The transport sector consumed 69.72 per cent of last year's amount.

He added that other measures to cut oil consumption in the transport sector included promoting the use of both mass transit and alternative energies like biodiesel and natural gas for vehicles.