Bidding for Krabi plant and EHIA to go ahead

THE government will go ahead with an environmental and health impact assessment (EHIA) on the controversial Bt49-billion coal-fired power plant for Krabi, while holding talks with project opponents and energy reformists.
The directive was issued one day after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggested that the 800-megawatt project in the southern tourist resort province would be put on hold following days of protests by Krabi villagers at Government House.
Deputy government spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the EHIA go-ahead was necessary to maintain the confidence of local and foreign investors in the energy sector.
It would reassure the private sector that there would be no power shortages in the South, he said, adding that the government would also ensure that the coal-fired power project complies with rules and regulations on environmental and health impacts.
Along with the EHIA work, the government will also set up a tripartite panel consisting of Energy Ministry officials, project opponents and representatives from the National Reform Council and National Legislative Assembly to discuss the pros and cons of the project.
Sansern said it was not possible to stop the project entirely, as demanded by some opponents, because the EHIA was a long process in which the electricity authority has to create an understanding with locals and work with independent non-government organisations.
“In fact, the tripartite committee is part of the bigger EHIA process,” he said, adding that the August 5 bidding called by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) would not be binding unless the project’s EHIA was completed and the project had been given the green light to go ahead.
Akkadej Chao-jinda, a leader of the “Protect Andaman from coal-fired power plant” protest group, said opponents had demanded that the government issue a written confirmation that the EHIA process would be stopped, so the project can be barred from being implemented by this and subsequent governments.
Other protest leaders have proposed that the government postpone the EHIA and halt bidding for construction of the multi-billion-baht power plant, which the government says is necessary to prevent a power shortages in the South and maintain business confidence in the Thai economy.
Protest leaders also wanted the government to promote alternative energy, such as using palm oil as fuel for power plants.
Anuchart Palakawong na Ayuthaya, a senior official at Egat, said the bidding would go ahead as planned since only technical proposals would be considered to assess suitable technology that is consistent with the investment budget. “This is not legally binding and it would be invalid if we could not go ahead. No binding agreement will be signed until the EHIA has been approved,” he said.
General Sakon Sajjanit, chairman of the NLA’s energy committee, said the final decision should rest with the tripartite committee as supported by the prime minister.
Prayut said he had taken into account the protesters’ proposal for an alternative energy power plant, but urged all parties concerned to find a mutually acceptable solution to the deadlock.
The premier said the demand for electricity in the South was greater than the supply, so the region needed to invest in an additional power plant. However, he was not sure if a palm oil-fuelled plant would be enough to meet the demand.
Asked if the project would be halted temporarily, Prayut said: “No, it’s not like that. We are going ahead with the scheme. If there are still problems, we have to work together to solve the problems. If we cannot, then we may scrap it. This is participation from the people but it doesn’t mean we have to do this for every project. If that’s the case we would not be able to do anything.”