Green focus as nation cleans up at Asean energy awards

“An important achievement at the meeting was the much-anticipated signing of a memorandum of understanding between Thailand, Malaysia and Laos,” said Thai Minister of Energy Anantaporn Kanjanarat.
 The agreement allows Laos to sell 100MW of clean electricity to Malaysia via Thai grids. The load can be sent presently using existing grids and requires no additional state spending. 
Anantaporn added that Thailand will comfortably reach the Asean plan to have 20 per cent of its energy needs coming from renewables such as solar, wind, water, biogas and other clean sources. 
 “Thailand has already attained 14 per cent from renewables,” he said, ahead of the 10-member bloc’s average of 13 per cent.
 But the Thai feat is impressive as Thais need to reduce CO2 emissions by a much wider amount, as Thailand per capita uses more fossil fuel than its neighbours. 
 The Kingdom has through the past decade burnt 900,000 barrels of oil a day, a quarter of which is wasted on grid locked traffic jams. 
Vietnam burns just 470,000 barrels and the Philippines uses even less, with 390,000 barrels. These two countries have populations of about 100 million compared to Thailand’s 65 million. 
 The cross-border LTM (Laos-Thai-Malaysia) pact comes four years after Singapore proposed the plan to buy 100MW from Laos, one of the bloc’s poorest nations that is able to produce electricity at the lowest price because of its hydro capabilities. 
 Almost all of Laos’ power comes from its dams save one coal fired plant built by Thailand two years ago. 
 Celebrating the Thai victory were companies such as Toyota Thailand, Khao CP, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Central Pattana, Siam Piwat and EGAT. 
A special coal category held every three years was added for powerful lignite providers in their efforts to “improve the image of coal”.
 Except for Thailand and Indonesia, coal plants are globally being phased out for pollution and health reasons. 
 Trailing Thailand were Indonesia with eight awards, Singapore with seven and Malaysia winning five. 
 Khao CP’s general manager Piya Kumara said his Suphan Buri-based company won its award for reducing energy through innovative planning and execution. 
“For years, we used forklifts and heavy trucks to transport grain to the mills,” he said. “We have now connected a pipeline from the granaries to the mills that cuts out the use of vehicles. 
 “By doing so, Piya said the company saved Bt4 million a year. Much of Thailand’s high scores in energy efficiency is due to smooth private-public sector cooperation and their ability to see eye-to-eye has brought many benefits from adopting clean and renewable energy.
“No one disputes the need to cut waste, reduce power bills and using clean fuels.” 
 Nectec, a green energy innovator, won its second Asean Energy trophy in Manila , said its veteran deputy director Suthee Phoojaroenachai. “Nectec has expanded its role as a green equipment provider to establishing green values among employees in order to forge a sustainable green path,” Suthee said. 
 The Stock Exchange Building also took a prize in the green building category. 
Pongsak Jiraphanpong, deputy chief of its building unit, said: “Every aspect of our headquarters is world-class in environmental standards. 
“Green and good corporate social responsibility practices run deep among our employees.
 “At the exchange, we have moved a step up in our social responsibility work by getting our next generation to practise responsible consumption. 
“The SET is teaching youth to save money to improve their lives and prepare for the future.
 “In the past, people were encouraged to spend beyond their means, buy on credit and expose themselves to risky loan schemes that would eventually cripple them.”