KRABI, June 11 — Hoteliers in the southern province of Krabi are prepared for the impacts of gas supply disruption from the Thailand-Malaysia Joint Development Area (JDA).
They are building up fuel stocks for generators to be activated in case of possible blackouts as production facilities in the Thai=Malaysian JDA will be shut down for maintenance for 28 days from June 13 to July 10.
The disruption will cause the Chana Power Plant in Chana district of Songkhla generating power, and the electricity supply in southern Thailand will consequently drop by 700 megawatts.
Meanwhile, power plant staff in Krabi are checking their equipment as the local facility will use its full generation capacity of 340 megawatts, up from its normal operation level of 170 megawatts.
They reserve 100,000 litres of fuel oil for their power plant that will additionally contribute to the southern power grid to cut blackout and brownout possibilities in the region.
Suchalee Sumamal, deputy director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office, said concerned authorities would meet this afternoon to discuss the results of their campaigns to cut electricity consumption by 150-200 megawatts to prevent blackouts in the South.
The region will have 2,300 megawatts including power supply from the Central Plain but its power demand is expected to peak at 2,450 megawatts from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
The authorities are encouraging the public to turn off one lamp and an air-conditioner and raise their air-conditioning temperatures by one degree. Meanwhile, private sector including operators of factories, hotels and department stores are ready to cut power consumption.
