Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha recently presented awards to corporations doing outstanding work on energy conservation and development of alternative energy, which could help lower Thailand’s reliance on imported oil.
Chairing the ‘Thailand Energy Awards 2014’ on Friday, November 21, Gen Prayut presented awards to the winners of the program where some 290 works competed in five categories, namely: alternative energy, energy conservation, energy personnel, creativity of energy, and support for energy conservation and alternative energy.
The objectives of organizing the program were to encourage firms and bank owners, and both the public and the private sector to help in reducing the country’s imported energy bill, which now stands at Bt14 trillion yearly, and to reduce carbon dioxide by over 181,000 tonnes annually.
It also wants the private sector to continue energy conservation and an educational institution to open new curriculum aimed at providing knowledge to students so that they would not be left unemployed after graduation.
As many as 50 percent of graduates are now jobless after graduation.
Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee said Thailand received 13 awards from the ‘ASEAN Energy Award 2014’ and has been the energy conservation leader in the region for nine consecutive years.
The country has displayed leadership in the field for the ASEAN Community, which is scheduled to be implemented at end-2015, said Narongchai.
He said the prime minister has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devaluation as chairman of an energy conservation program and a study is being prepared on how to conserve energy over the next five to 10 years.
Both the public and the private sector will be encouraged to use LED bulbs, aimed at conserving energy, while cooperation is being given by the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry encouraging agriculturists to grow sugarcane, cassava and palm oil for use in the production of more biodiesel and ethanol for domestic consumption, Narongchai said.
A fund will be supported by the Energy Conservation Fund, he added.
