Egat to reassure locals on coal-fired plant

This is part of the agency’s plan to create electricity security for the country while reducing people’s electricity bills in the long term, said Egat’s assistant governor for planning, Suthep Chimklai.
Under PDP2010, Egat will build four coal-fired power plants with combined production capacity of 3,200 megawatts in southern Thailand, where electricity demand is rising at an average of 6 per cent a year. Currently, electricity plants in the South have production capacity of only 2,100MW a year, versus annual demand of 2,500MW.
Under PDP2010, the first coal-fired power plant is due to begin operating in the year 2019, with a new plant opening every three years until 2028.
“Now, the technology used to produce electricity from coal is environmentally friendly. It also costs less than other technologies. That matches the country’s demand growth,” he said.
At present, the country uses natural gas to produce up to 70 per cent of its electricity, but natural gas supplies in the Gulf of Thailand are expected to run out within 10 years. That’s why Egat has to find a new neutral source that offers lower electricity-production costs. Coal is the first choice because there are reserves that will last over 200 years. It also costs less than other natural sources, while the technology to produce electricity from coal is also environmentally friendly. This is the reason that Egat has tried to give more information about green coal technology to produce electricity for the public.
The cost of producing electricity from coal is now about Bt2.30 per unit, versus Bt5 for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The average cost of electricity in the country is Bt3 per unit.