The State-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is planning to reduce the power generation capacity reserve to 15 percent from 40 percent of total capacity, in a move to curb high power costs.
Egat's Khanom power plant in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. (Photo: VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) - TheState-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is planning toreduce the power generation capacity reserve to 15 percent from 40 percent oftotal capacity, in a move to curb high power costs.
Decommissioning some power plantsearly, selling electricity to neighbouring countries and using more electricityin agribusiness will be carried out to allow for reductions.
Local media quoted Egat's Governor ViboonRerksirathai as saying that without these actions, the national power reservewould rise above 40 percent because of lower electricity demand during theeconomic recession. The more energy🥂 is stored inꦜ thegrid, the more expensive power becomes for users.
The 2018 power development plan (PDP)projects that future electricity demand to grow by between 3-5 percent over thenext decade, but the outbreak of COVID-19, which has led to lockdown measuresworldwide, has made that estimate untenable.
Viboon did not name which plants aretargeted for early decommissioning, saying the decision will depend onselection criteria and discussions with operators.
Without early decommissions, thecountry's power generation capacity will rise from 51,390MW to 54,026MW in2025.
Another option to reduce electricityreserves is sales to Myanmar and Cambodia, said Viboon. This requires upgradingtransmission lines, but it would be worth the investment, he said.
The power surplus can also be usedfor chilling fruit and vegetables to prolong their shelf life before sale, headded.
T𓆉he Thai economy has suffered sharp fallin the second quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Economic and Social Development Councilannounced on August 17 that the country’s GDP dropped by 12.2 percent from ayear ago – the biggest decline since the Asian financial crisis in 1998. Thesecond-quarter unemployment rate was at 1.95 percent, and an additional 1.8million workers may be at risk of losing their jobs./.
More than 2,500 customers of the Dong Nai Power Company in southern Dong Nai province had installed rooftop solar panels with total capacity of nearly 50.9 million kWp as of the end of July.
The Royal Group, Cambodia’s biggest private firm of tycoon Kith Meng, has secured 168.8 hectares of land in Koh Kong’s Botum Sakor National Park under a leasing agreement to develop a 700 megawatt (mW) coal power plant, according to a government sub-decree.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is considering new models to calculate electricity prices, including one that would eliminate its current step pricing, which industry experts have called outdated and deeply unpopular among consumers.
Construction of the V1-2 wind power plant - a joint venture between the Truong Thanh Vietnam Group and the Thai-based Sermsang Power Corporation Public Company Limited - kicked off in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh on August 14.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has issued guidelines for the planning of efficient energy use from 2020 to 2025 at the city and provincial level.
Malaysia, as ASEAN 2025 Chair, marked the bloc’s 58th founding anniversary on August 8 with a vibrant celebration in Cyberjaya, blending an official ceremony with a colorful cultural festival.
Vietnam plays an important role in Southeast Asia’s economic growth and is a key partner of her country in realising the shared vision of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region, said Robyn Mudie, First Assistant Secretary of Office of Southeast Asia (OSA) – Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The 2025 ASEAN Business Community Development (ABCD) Forum, themed “Empowering ASEAN's Next Leap: Digital, Sustainable & Entrepreneurial Transformation” brought together ministers, CEOs, and top industry experts to discuss key regional economic priorities.
The DES Ministry will seek cooperation from social media platforms to prevent the spread of fake news and monitor accounts related to such activities, he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the newly established Anti-Fake News Centre (AFNC).
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
Financial institutions and financial technology (fintech) players are intensifying their focus on expanding across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adopting tailored strategies to strengthen their presence in the region’s digital financial services landscape.
Featuring a permanent exhibition area, the ASEAN Hall will function both as a cultural showcase and as a dynamic venue for ASEAN-related events and programmes. Its inauguration on ASEAN Day added symbolic weight, marking a fresh milestone in ASEAN–RoK relations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
The focus of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October will be on strengthening economic relations through intra-regional trade and investment, as well as regional initiatives on energy networks and connectivity.
Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
The Indonesian Government is determined to seize opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of national agricultural products, an official has said, adding that it always strives to promote exports at the highest possible level, based on a mutually beneficial foundation.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
Indonesia is accelerating plans to increase lithium imports, particularly from Australia, in a bid to fill gaps in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain and realise its ambition of becoming a global EV manufacturing hub.
Malaysia’s gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) reached 1.01% of gross domestic product in 2022, a notable increase, with more than 51% contributed by the industry sector. The country is targeting GERD to reach 2.5% by 2030, in line with the national goal of transforming into a high-technology nation.
Egat's Khanom power plant in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. (Photo: VNA)
