Yadana shutdown to cause slight impact on electricity prices
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The Energy Regulatory Commission hinted today that the electricity prices for the May-August round may not be raised as much as expected.
Earlier, the ERC expected the shutdown of Yadana gas field in Myanmar would raise the fuel tariff in the months by 0.25 satang per unit.
Viraphol Jirapraditkul, spokesman of the commission, said that during February 25-28 when the gas field was shut down, less-than-expected fuel was used in electricity generating in Thailand. Power plants in the West of Thailand which rely on natural gas from Myanmar consumed only 15.4 million litres of bunker oil and 4.8 million litres of diesel during the shutdown period. This is against the previous assumptions that 34.8 million litres of bunker oil and 8.1 million litres of diesel would be consumed. Bunker oil during the period was also priced relatively close to natural gas during the period.
Nevertheless, Viraphol noted that the ERC needed to take into consideration other factors like fuel prices and foreign exchange rates when finalising the FT for the May-August round.
