Coal-fired plant could burn tourism in Krabi

The government is facing a dilemma over whether to push ahead with plans to build a coal-fired electricity plant in Krabi province despite strong opposition from local residents and environmental activists.

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) cites the need to meet increasing demand for electricity in the South and has earmarked early next month for a bidding process to find a constructor for the plant. 

Meanwhile a group of Krabi locals has joined with environmental activists to protest in Bangkok, calling on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to call off the bidding and set up a committee comprising all stakeholders to review the project. Locals fear that the power plant and the transportation of coal to feed it from Indonesia will severely damage tourism, which is central to Krabi’s economy. The environmentalists say that an alternative and “cleaner” source of energy should be found.

Stop Global Warming Association president Srisuwan Janya is threatening to sue Egat and the Energy Ministry if they proceed with the power plant bidding. “Why does the prime minister still insist on using coal even when it is dirty and polluting, when we have many alternative sources of energy?” Srisuwan asked.

Many people still remember the night-time power outages in May 2013 that plunged all 14 southern provinces into darkness. The nightly blackouts inspired widespread fear among residents – particularly those in the insurgency-hit border provinces – and had an adverse impact on the tourism industry.

Egat blamed the cut in supply on a lightning strike on a main cable carrying power from the Central region, which triggered a safety shutdown at power plants in the South.

However, it also admitted that the South’s reliance on electricity from outside sources was also to blame for the largest power outage in the country’s history. The southern provinces now have to rely on the Central region and Malaysia to top up locally produced electricity, which is insufficient to meet demand at peak times or during maintenance.

Egat governor Soonchai Kumnoonsate says demand for electricity in the South is expanding by five per cent a year due to the region’s tourism boom. Research shows that demand in the region will reach 3,062 megawatts in 2019, up from 2,350 at present.

The governor said two new coal-fired power plants in Krabi and Songkhla, with a combined output of 1,800 megawatts, would help improve the energy security of the South.

There is merit on both sides of the argument over the power plant project. The government must now carefully consider the information being put forth by both the proponents and the opponents of the scheme before making a decision that best benefits the majority of the people.

One promising compromise would be to go ahead with the power plant’s construction but switch its source of energy from coal to something more environment-friendly, such as natural gas or a renewable energy. This would help satisfy the rising demand for electricity in the South while also placating the fears of local residents and environmental campaigners over the damage a coal plant might do to Krabi.