With global energy demand forecast to grow by 30 percent through to 2030, driven by industry and rising prosperity in emerging markets like ASEAN, Thailand’s energy secretary Areepong Bhoocha-Oom seeks to turn the country into a regional energy hub. For the Thai power sector that means liberalising integrated utilities and transforming the fuel mix toward clean gas and renewables.
“As we move more closely towards an improved energy system, energy production and consumption must adapt radically to ensure the demands of growing populations are met, whilst ensuring cleaner and more efficient delivery is achieved,” Thailand’s energy secretary Areepong Bhoocha-Oom said in Bangkok today.
The oil & gas industry will remain the main demand driver in Southeast Asia but the Thai government is providing incentives for a transition away from traditional fossil fuels towards green gas and renewables.
Green Energy Transition
“Natural Gas and LNG will be the primary fuel source for Asia’s continued development,” minister Bhoocha-Oom said while underlining the government’s determination to help make full use of Thailand’s potential for wind energy and solar PV deployment. To that end, the government is courting international investors and technical experts to consolidate some projects that have been long in the making, and kick-start new ones.
As for recent gas power projects, Thailand’s EGAT on March 24 ordered new gas turbines for the South Bangkok Power Plant Replacement Phase 1. The $525million plant upgrade is being carried out by a consortium of Siemens and Marubeni. The revamped plant is due to start its commercial operation in 2019, and will replace the South Bangkok power plant gas turbine units 1-5.
ASEAN Power Grid
Renewable and other carbon-free energy will play a primary role, [but] the importance of fossil fuels, in particular natural gas, in delivering the cost-effective and immediate requirements of Asia’s growing demand cannot be ignored, he said when announcing the ‘Future Energy Asia’ conference that will be held at the BITEC exhibition centre next year.
Thailand is a fast-growing market and the conference will presents will allow local energy companies to meet international experts and together “create a blueprint for Southeast Asia’s future energy security. Hereby, the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) is hoped to foster greater dispatch of fuel-efficient and low carbon-intensive power plants throughout the region.
