Super Earth Energy 8 wins Nonthaburi RDF power plant project

[webfact]

Super Earth Energy 8 wins Nonthaburi RDF power plant project

By THE NATION

 

 

Deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said on Tuesday (October 8 ) that the Cabinet has approved the selection of private operator Super Earth Energy 8 to invest in and manage the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) power plant in Nonthaburi province.

 

The company recently won the bid for the project, which comes under a public-private partnership (PPP) contract. The project has an estimated value of Bt4.1 billion and will last 22 years (2 years of construction, and 20 years of operation).

 

“This project is a pilot scheme under the Cabinet’s resolution of January 12, 2016 to manage excessive waste in Nonthaburi province,” Traisulee said. “Four private companies bid for the project, and Super Earth Energy 8 won the bid.”

 

Under the terms of the contract, Nonthaburi Provincial Administration Office (NPAO) will allocate 57 rai of land to the company for the construction of the power plant, and provide not less than 1,000 tonnes of waste per day as raw material for RDF power generation. Meanwhile, Earth Energy 8 will be responsible for the environmental impact study, investment, construction, management and maintenance of the power plant.

 

NPAO will pay a waste disposal fee to Earth Energy 8 of Bt300 per tonne per month, while the company will contribute Bt30 million per year to NPAO as a license fee to sell the generated power as well as to make other profits from the waste disposal system.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30377183

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-10-08

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[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, Earth Energy 8 will be responsible for the environmental impact study, investment, construction, management and maintenance of the power plant.

Does it seem odd that the company wanting to build a power plant is responsible for the Environmental impact Assessment?

How impartial is it likely to be when 'public meetings' are held to discuss it?

[Srikcir]

On 10/8/2019 at 9:47 AM, bluesofa said:

Does it seem odd that the company wanting to build a power plant is responsible for the Environmental impact Assessment?

How impartial is it likely to be when 'public meetings' are held to discuss it?

Also odd that the company won the bid before any EIA has been made.

There's no mention that the government has completed an EIA that would ordinarily would precede even the project approval. If the EIA proves no insurmountable barriers to the project, bids can then be solicited.

An EIA may require certain actions by the successful bidder and the cost of those actions need to be considered in the bids, ie., containment of toxic byproducts, filtration system for air pollution, water table protection and replenishment, traffic impacts, etc. An EIA may also require costs related to social disruption. 

As you note, impartiality of the successful bidder will be questionable when the company has already committed to the project cost. That creates a perception that the company's EIA will conform to its bid rather than the bid conforming to the EIA.