Egat again call for serious study of gas-supply issue after Myanmar quake
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has reiterated the need for solutions to address the country's power demand after frequent disruptions of the supply of natural gas from Myanmar in the past few years.
The latest disruption took place after Myanmar was shaken by a powerful earthquake early on Sunday.
Egat spokesman Pongdit Potejana said natural gas now accounted for 70 per cent of the fuel Thailand uses to generate electricity. Such high dependence poses risks to the electricity system.
To address gas shortages in the short term, bunker-oil-powered generators are used, which can raise the overall cost of power generation. Within 15 years, gas from the Gulf of Thailand will run out, and imported liquefied natural gas is twice as expensive.
Pongdit said the country was in need of new fuel to replace natural gas. However, it must be fuel that keeps electricity prices low and supports energy stability.
“All parties should brainstorm and reach a solution now, as it takes five to six years to erect a power plant,” he said.
The gas supply from Myanmar amounts to 1,100 million cubic feet per day. To cope with the latest disruption, all gas-fired power plants in the Western region, with combined capacity of 5,000 megawatts, were shut down and electricity was generated by the bunker-oil-powered plant in Ratchaburi. The gas-fired plants were turned on again on Sunday afternoon.
The Energy Ministry recently assigned Egat to study the feasibility of constructing new coal-fired power plants. Coal is slightly more expensive than natural gas but cheaper than all other fuels. However, there are high concerns about pollution from burning coal.
