BANGKOK, June 6 – Thailand’s power consumption at its peak on May 16 was only 1.8 per cent higher than last year, much lower than the original forecast of 4-5 per cent, according to a senior official of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).
Chanyong Wangchanpong, director of EGAT’s System Control Department, said the highest electric power use was 26,598 megawatts (MW), an increase at only 1.8 per cent, mainly due to the economic situation and early rains.
Next year’s peak consumption is predicted to expand by 4-5 per cent, he said.
He said that EGAT has planned to install additional 500-kilowatt electricity lines nationwide to prevent power failures and to prepare the country for the ASEAN Grid – a power interconnection for the Southeast Asian region.
The entire power system must be revised to boost its efficiency while construction of a power plant in the South is necessary to cope with expanded power consumption there by 6-7 per cent a year, he said.
The latest demand at peak period was 2,400 MWs but the production capacity is 2,100 MWs, he said. (MCOT online news)
