BANGKOK, Feb 22 – Thailand’s energy-related state agencies will jointly map out preparations for a looming power crisis during the maintenance of a natural gas platform in Myanmar between April 5-14, Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan said today.
He said he had a preliminary discussion with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) on measures to cope with the energy shortage while EGAT will seek additional power from neighbouring Laos and boost production from hydro, coal and bunker oil energy sources during the crunch period.
The Energy Ministry will lead the meeting which will also be joined by energy-related state agencies under the Interior Ministry, he said.
Thailand’s energy production is almost 70 per cent fueled by natural gas – 60 per cent of which is supplied from the Gulf of Thailand and 40 per cent from Myanmar’s Yanada platform.
The April 5-14 period when maintenance is scheduled for the Yanada platform is the peak of domestic energy consumption and it is estimated that Thailand’s power demand will reach 26,300 megawatts (MW). April is summer and the country’s warmest month, when temperatures in Thailand can possibly rise to 40 degrees Celsius.
