Thailand is growing closer to becoming a green society through its firmer focus on renewable energy in the revised 2010-2030 Power Development Plan (PDP).
Expanding renewable sources of fuel to drive power plants will reduce the country's reliance on natural gas and lead to greater energy security.
Norkun Sitthiphong, deputy permanent secretary of the Energy Ministry, as chairman of the subcommittee on the PDP, said after the public hearing yesterday that the 20-year PDP stresses clean energy and energy efficiency. It has been dubbed the country's first Green PDP.
"The Green PDP is different from the 2007 PDP, as it contains the target to reduce greenhouse gases through more power plants with more renewable fuels like nuclear, hydro and clean coal - and more cogeneration plants. Demand side management will also be included in the plan," he said.
Greenhouse gases are set to be reduced from 0.546 kilogram per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 0.38-0.42.
The plan also emphasises energy security, with lower dependence on natural gas in power generation. It assumes that power reserves should exceed 20 per cent of total capacity, to avoid risk from interruption in the natural gas supplied from Burma.
Diversification away from natural gas will be assisted by the move to nuclear power and clean coal, as well as higher imports of hydropower from neighbouring countries.
Last year, 145.23 billion units of power were produced - 72.5 per cent from using natural gas, 11 per cent from coal, 8.4 per cent from hydropower, 1.6 per cent from Laos, 1.4 per cent from alternative energy and 0.12 per cent from other sources.
The PDP estimates that nuclear power would not exceed 10 per cent of total capacity, while coal energy will account for no more than 25 per cent and power from neighbouring countries like Laos and Burma no more than 25 per cent.
National power plan ( 2010-2030)To become a greener society,
Thailand will rely more on
renewable energy in producing
electricity.
Clean-air metric: greenhouse-
gas emissions to fall from
0.546 kilogram per kilowatt
hour to 0.38-0.42.
Generation by fuel (%)
Natural gas 35
Coal 25
Nuclear 10
Hydropower 25
Others 5
Source: Energy Ministry
The Green PDP's demand forecast has been improved with support from the economic forecasting model of the National Institute of Development Administration, which predicts that the economy will expand 3.41-5.12 per cent per year during the 20-year period.
Norkun said the Energy Ministry is open to all opinions on the plan. Another public hearing is scheduled this month, and next month the plan should be ready for the National Energy Policy Council's approval.
A source from the Energy Policy and Planning Office said power demand would rise to 60 gigawatts in 2030, and reserves must equal at least 15 per cent of capacity, so total capacity must be 70GW. At 10 per cent, 7GW may need to come from seven nuclear power plants, up from five proposed in the 2007 PDP.
The newest plan however will reduce natural gas dependence by half.
"It should be decided early next year whether Thailand would embrace nuclear power. The government would base the decision on the 2010 PDP. If the nuclear power plants remain unwanted, then the government will need to find other alternative energy sources to meet power demand," the source said.
