Egat cleared of blame in South blackout
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The Energy Ministry's fact-finding panel has found that the blackout in the South on May 21 was beyond the control of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.
The accident was unexpected and Egat followed standard operating procedures in responding to the crisis, Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal said Tuesday after reviewing the report from the committee.
The committee, which was set up to investigate the causes of the power cut in 14 southern provinces, pointed out three contributing factors in its report. First, lightning struck the 500-kilovolt line linking Chom Bung in Ratchaburi province and Bang Saphan, Prachuap Khiri Khan. Second, this line went under emergency repair. Third, the high-voltage direct-current system linking to the power supply from Malaysia malfunctioned.
All three incidents happened in 5.2 seconds, cutting off the South from the national power grid.
She is also planning to launch a campaign against the sale of breast-milk substitutes and possibly push for a related law in the future.
The Nation
