BANGKOK, Dec 4 — Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said today that waste-to-energy plants are necessary in all localities, urging opponents to stop their campaigns against them.
While opening a fair to mark Thai Environment Day at Muang Thong Thani, Gen Prayut said the amount of garbage and hazardous waste keeps growing in the country as Thailand lacks a good disposal system; therefore, waste-to-energy plants are necessary for all communities throughout the country.
He wanted the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Interior to convince the public that waste-to-energy plants could bring garbage disposal and pollution under control, but Thailand has yet to fully make use of its garbage by sorting it, appropriately disposing of it and turning it into electricity.
“I would like opponents of waste-to-energy plants to listen. Thailand needs waste-to-energy plants in all corners to generate electricity as the power supply is insecure and has not covered the whole country,” the prime minister said.
Gen Prayut also said that 70 per cent of the energy that Thailand consumed came from imported oil and natural gas and the imports cost more than Bt4 trillion annually.
Waste-to-energy plants could relieve the import burden and the state would have more money for development and investment, he said.
