Revised plan calls for 20% power reserve
To ensure stability in the supply of power for Thailand and its growing economy in the future, Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal has instructed relevant state agencies to set aside 20 per cent of the electricity supply, up from 15 per cent previously
This clause in the third revision of the Power Development Plan (PDP) is meant to minimise the impact of any disruption of power supply from neighbouring countries. It will also support the increased demand for power from the high-speed-rail project and growth of communities near transport routes that the government’s Bt2-trillion infrastructure projects will bring.
Developed nations such as Japan allocate as much as 50 per cent as power reserve. The tsunami disaster caused a decline of more than 25 per cent in that country’s power supply after the shutdown of damaged nuclear plants, but the economy and livelihood of its people were able to proceed without significant adverse impacts.
Contrast that with Thailand, where the recent shutdown of the natural-gas pipeline for maintenance by Myanmar significantly affected the Kingdom’s three major power plants, as the reserve dropped to less than 5 per cent. Hence, PDP 2013 aims to address this risk.
The high-speed-rail project alone will need 2,000 megawatts of electricity. Thailand must build power plants adequate to support the growth that the infrastructure mega-projects will bring. Construction of one plant takes five to six years, so the demand for power may outpace the rate at which power plants can commence operations to meet the future needs of the country, Pongsak warned.
All relevant state agencies must prepare for and mitigate the risk of power shortages accordingly, as an adequate supply of electricity is vital to the country’s stability and social and economic prosperity, he said.
