NGV being arranged for South to cope with NGV field shutdown
THE Energy Ministry has teamed up with PTT Plc and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) to come up with measures to supply users of power and natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the South during a 14-day shutdown of a natural gas field in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area (JDA).
Ministry spokesman Sompop Pattanariyankool said the JDA’s A-18 block in the Gulf of Thailand will stop operating for 14 days from July 7-21 in order to improve and repair production and transmission equipment for natural gas.
As a result, about 440 million cubic feet will be lost from the system per day, which will affect power and NGV production and use in the South of Thailand.
Egat’s measures extend from fuel adjustment of the Chana power plant in Songkhla province to diesel to all power plants and small power producers in the South during the temporary shutdown of the JDA’s A-18 block.
Power could also be purchased through HVDC from Malaysia in an emergency case.
On the fuel side, 18.6 million litres of diesel will be reserved at Chana power plant and a minimum reserve of fuel oil will also be set aside at the Krabi power plant.
PTT will make provisions to continue supplying oil throughout the overhaul period.
The power transmission system will get ready to supply power to the South, while teams are being arranged to tackle any emergencies.
Sompop said that PTT is preparing the measures for NGV by supplying NGV in gas tanker trucks before the temporary shutdown and allocation of gas from the central area to the lower South to supply 12 NGV gas stations in four provinces – Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammasat, Songkhla and Pattani – where demand is about 90 tonnes per day.
In addition, the Energy Ministry has asked businesses, manufacturers and people in the South to help save energy from 6pm to 9.30pm every day when the JDA’s A-18 stops operating temporarily.
