Laos team visits Thailand to study energy conservation
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Laos Is taking advice and information from Thailand on the conservation of energy in preparation of the world's dwindling supplies.
The LInstitute of Renewable Energy Promotion of Laos’ Energy and Mines Ministry travelled to Thailand last week to observe their plans for conserving energy.
The delegation, led by the Head of the Office of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Bountheung Phengthavongsa, were on a week-long study tour in Thailand to see what researchers were doing here in terms of sustainable energy.
“We went there to get a better understanding as Thailand is one of several Asean countries that is getting good results on renewable energy right now,” he said.
King Mongkut University of Technology in Thonburi (KMUTT) was one of the sites visited by the Lao delegation where they studied a pilot plant for ethanol production. Ethanol can be mixed with petrol as a general-purpose fuel for motor vehicles. The ethanol is mostly made from cassava roots.
Solot Suwanayuen, KMUTT’s vice president, told the delegation that Thailand had been developing ethanol to mix with petrol for several years.
Recently, Thailand started using E10 ethanol to mix with petrol and B5 bio-diesel for use with diesel oil. B100 is also being used but without mixing and is sold in Thailand for use in agricultural vehicles.
After the visit, the Institute of Renewable Energy Promotion of the Ministry of Energy and Mines plans to start working on the development of bio fuel use in Laos.
The Lao economy is expanding rapidly with more and more people able to afford cars. Many car owners don’t appear to care how much fuel they use, and this is one of the biggest challenges facing humankind as modern life is so dependent on energy, particularly oil.
Ten years ago there were far fewer cars on Vientiane’s roads, but these days the roads are a mass of vehicles, with traffic jams a frequent occurrence.
One only has to travel in the city between 7.30 and 8.30am or 4pm to 5.30pm to witness the extent of the growing problem.
Perhaps people don’t realise that the world’s oil supplies are finite and there will be a time in the future when there’s none left if we’re not careful.
Moreover, Laos is a developing country with few fuel resources, importing 100 per cent of its fuel from overseas.
