Latest news with #ElectricityGeneratingAuthorityofThailand
Bangkok Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Clean energy dearth dents foreign interest
Ongoing political instability may slow Thai economic growth, but a larger hindrance is in the energy sector, as Thailand risks losing 1 trillion baht in foreign investment opportunities if the government does not step up efforts to facilitate renewable power usage, according to Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). Many foreign companies, especially those in data centre and cloud service businesses, are waiting for authorities to allow peer-to-peer power trade, eager to know how clean electricity will be bought and sold under a new law. Companies are still prohibited from buying renewable power directly from producers, but foreign investors want the government to adjust this outdated regulation. The current rule requires them to buy electricity through state electricity agencies such as the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Many of these foreign companies increasingly depend on greater use of clean power. "Slow progress in new clean energy management can deprive Thailand of the ability to attract foreign investment and maintain the country's economic development," said Areeporn Asawinpongphan, a research fellow on energy policy at TDRI. Many industries are located in the Eastern Economic Corridor, but this economic zone envisioned as the country's high-tech industrial hub cannot ensure sufficient renewable power supply, she said. In June 2024, the National Energy Policy Council approved a pilot direct power purchase agreement (PPA) project, enabling companies to buy renewable electricity directly from producers, following a request from foreign data centre developers. The Energy Regulatory Commission and the Energy Policy and Planning Office already conducted a feasibility study on this project, aimed to have companies sell and buy 2,000 megawatts of clean power under direct PPAs, but the project has progressed at a snail's pace. This is an obstacle for companies that need renewable power for their operations to avoid the impact of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which imposes a fee on imports of products using carbon-intensive manufacturing into the EU. Ms Areeporn said insufficient efforts to prepare for the shift towards clean energy can also affect many workers in industries that emit large amount of greenhouse gases. Green jobs promoting eco-friendly energy and manufacturing must be generated for workers who need to change careers, she said.
Bangkok Post
17-07-2025
- General
- Bangkok Post
Inside EGAT's Dam Tunnel Safety Mission
A dam is a colossal structure built to store water for multiple purposes. But during natural disasters—whether powerful storms or earthquakes—many people may wonder: could the dam break, crack, or leak? How is such a massive structure monitored and maintained? EGAT's Dam Maintenance Mission Dams play a crucial role in national water management. They help store and slow water flow, mitigating flood risks, reducing seawater intrusion, and supporting agricultural irrigation. In addition, they generate electricity as a byproduct of controlled water release. Given their importance, dam safety must be regularly and rigorously inspected. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is responsible for overseeing 14 dams nationwide. Specialised personnel known as Dam Safety Officers monitor, measure, inspect, and maintain these dams on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to ensure safety for nearby communities and the general public. From Crest Walks to Tunnel Inspections The inspection process begins with visual checks. At major dams such as Srinagarind and Vajiralongkorn, Dam Safety Officers first walk along the dam crest—an embankment more than 140 metres high (equivalent to a 40-storey building)—to look for signs of settlement or abnormalities in the rockfill slope. They also use the Dam Safety Remote Monitoring System (DS-RMS) to track dam behaviour, collecting data that is visualised in graphs showing safety status under normal, earthquake, and flood conditions. The safety level is categorised into three statuses: normal, warning, and watch. From the crest, officers descend stairways equal in height to a 15-storey building to reach the dam tunnel, a confined space nearly 600 metres wide at the foundation. There, they inspect the concrete structure and utilise various instruments to ensure all readings remain within safety standards. Inspections Beneath the Surface In addition to land-based inspections, EGAT also performs underwater checks. Its team of trained divers carries out inspections at depths of up to 60 metres, in dark waters with high pressure. All divers undergo annual training and assessments to ensure they are physically and mentally prepared for demanding underwater tasks such as welding or equipment installation. Currently, EGAT has nearly 50 certified divers. In areas that are inaccessible to divers, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are deployed to survey, collect data, and support future maintenance planning. Ensuring the safety and stability of dams is no simple task. It requires highly trained specialists with dedication, resilience, and technical expertise. These individuals may seem like small components in a vast system, but their role is essential to preserving the strength of Thailand's dams—ensuring that they continue to provide reliable energy, protect communities, and sustain lives for generations to come.
Bangkok Post
13-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Thailand set to finally embrace nuclear power
A proposal to install small modular reactors (SMRs) in Thailand looks set to gain momentum amid corporate interest in using the technology to ensure stable power supplies and support the national plan to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Ratch Group, the power generation arm of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), Global Power Synergy Plc, a subsidiary of national oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc, as well as Saha Pathanapibul International Plc, a consumer product conglomerate, are key supporters of SMRs, said a private sector electricity executive who requested anonymity. Their interest in nuclear power is in line with the government's plan to push for SMR installation, part of efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants. Global Power Synergy recently announced it was conducting a feasibility study in response to growing power demand and a desire to achieve its decarbonisation goal. The executive was speaking about the perception of the state and private perception of nuclear technology ahead of a seminar titled "A Global Dialogue on SMR Deployment", to be held on July 16 in Bangkok. The one-day seminar, co-sponsored by Ratch and Saha Pathanapibul International, aims to give updates on the SMR trend and provide an opportunity for experts and nuclear power enthusiasts to exchange views. An SMR is a form of nuclear power technology with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit, about one-third of the generating capacity of larger, traditional nuclear power reactors, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We want to educate people on SMRs before the power development plan [PDP] is enforced," said the executive. Under the PDP, scheduled for implementation from 2024 to 2037, two SMRs, each with a capacity of 300MW, will be developed and will commence operations towards the end of the plan. The SMRs could be developed and run by Egat. Thailand initially tried to adopt nuclear power technology during the 1970s, with Egat set to be a project developer, but the plan was aborted, following the discovery of natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand in the early 1980s. Authorities included nuclear energy in the 2010 PDP, with a nuclear power project with a total capacity of 2,000MW set to commence operations in 2020 or 2021, but it was removed from the PDP in 2011 following the nuclear reactor meltdown caused by a tsunami in Fukushima, Japan. Nuclear energy experts said an SMR is designed to be safer and better deal with environmental concerns. An SMR uses natural circulation and a gravity-driven system to remove heat. This allows an SMR to avoid the damaging impact of power outage that can cause the electricity-powered cooling system, used by traditional nuclear power plants, not to work properly.
Bangkok Post
06-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Egco seeks 4-5 fresh acquisitions in second half
SET-listed Electricity Generating (Egco), the power generation arm of Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, continues to expand its business overseas with investment in a Taiwanese wind farm as it seeks to clinch an additional 4-5 merger and acquisition deals in the second half of this year. Egco is in talks with companies in Thailand and abroad, with the focus on assets in the US and Middle East, said Jiraporn Sirikum, president of Egco. "We are seeking new opportunities for investment in energy projects, including renewable energy, to rack up revenue in foreign countries," she said. Egco's investment in the Yunlin offshore wind farm, which spans 82 square kilometres in Taiwan, is expected to generate 2 billion baht a year in revenue for the company over the first five years of its operation, said Ms Jiraporn. The company holds a 26.5% stake in Yunneng Wind Power Co, a joint venture set up to operate the wind farm, which started supplying electricity in January this year. Located in the Taiwan Strait, known as a high-wind zone, the wind farm comprises 80 wind turbine generators with a total electricity generation capacity of 640 megawatts. The facility can supply power to 600,000 families, or 90% of electricity demand for households in Yunlin county. Egco is also interested in co-developing a massive gas pipeline project in the US state of Alaska, which is supported by US President Donald Trump. The Alaska venture is seen as part of Thailand's efforts to ramp up investment in the US to ward off the Trump administration's plan to impose a hefty reciprocal tariff on goods imported from Thailand. The investment in Alaska would expand Egco's business in the US, following its announcement last month of an agreement with Apex Pinnacle II Member Llc to acquite a 49% share in its Pinnacle II Portfolio, which comprises the 126MW Downeast wind farm in Maine and the 125MW Wheatsborough solar farm in Ohio.
The Star
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Thai DPM Pichai confident US will lower import tariff on Thai products to 10%
BANGKOK: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira expressed confidence on Wednesday (May 14) that the United States would reduce its import tariff on Thai products from 36% to 10%, citing the positive reception of Thailand's five key trade proposals. Thai proposals presented to US trade representative At a press conference held at Government House at 1pm on Wednesday, Pichai said that Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan had submitted Thailand's five main proposals to US Trade Representative Jamison Greer on May 8. The proposals aim to address concerns over Thailand's trade surplus with the US. High tariff threat prompted swift diplomatic action The US had earlier threatened to impose a punitive 36% tariff on Thai imports due to the growing trade imbalance. However, Pichai stated that the US was likely to lower the rate to 10% for most products, based on recent diplomatic feedback. However, Pichai said, he acknowledged that certain sectors—including vehicles and automotive supply chain products—may continue to face higher tariffs. Thailand's five proposals to reduce trade tension Pichai outlined the following five proposals submitted to the US: 1. Strengthening Thai–US economic cooperation Thailand proposed bilateral collaboration in the goods processing industry, data centres, and AI sector, including negotiations to eliminate tariff and non-tariff trade barriers. 2. Increasing imports from the United States Thailand committed to importing more US goods, particularly in the areas of energy, agriculture, and the aviation sector (aircraft, components, and services). Executives from PTT, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and Electricity Generating Plc recently visited Alaska to explore investment opportunities in the US energy sector. 3. Opening Thai markets to US agricultural products Thailand agreed to open up more market access for US agricultural exports, including fruits and corn. 4. Enforcing country of origin regulations Thailand pledged stronger enforcement of rules of origin to ensure transparency in trade practices. 5. Promoting Thai investment in the United States Thailand will increase its outbound investment in the US. Dr Nalinee Taveesin, President of the Thailand Trade Representatives, led Thai businesses to the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2025 to explore business opportunities in the US. Positive signals from US Commerce Secretary Pichai said he believed the proposals were well received, citing the positive tone of US Commerce Secretary Scott Bessent, who spoke favourably about Thailand during the Saudi Arabia Investment Forum on Tuesday. - The Nation/ANN
