The global energy crisis has prompted Thailand to accelerate its transition to renewable energy after years of hesitation, joining other countries in adopting wind and solar power to reduce dependency on imported fuels.

 

Thailand’s reconsideration of its renewable energy strategy came after a surge in natural gas prices last year caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Wattanapong Kurovat, director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office. This issue was compounded by a decline in domestic production, Bangkok Post reported.

 

In an interview in Bangkok, Wattanapong explained that when Thai authorities requested more energy from renewable plants last year, they discovered that the available capacity was already at its limit. Unlike some countries branching into coal mines or gas fields in response to soaring global fuel prices, Thailand recognises the potential in solar panels and wind turbines for fostering energy independence.

 

The Thai government’s energy security push last month led to the announcement of a power purchase plan covering roughly five gigawatts of renewables, the largest feed-in tariff programme to date. This investment is expected to essentially double wind and solar capacity by 2030. Furthermore, authorities are planning an additional round for 3.67 gigawatts later this year, Wattanapong revealed.

 

This policy shift reverses Thailand’s previous preference for natural gas as a transition fuel before adopting cleaner sources, as renewable projects in some emerging countries face challenges like grid restraints, bureaucracy, and funding deficits.

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-accelerates-shift-to-renewables-amid-global-energy-crisis-fallout

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-05-04

 

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I find it interesting that in this 'energy crisis' energy companies are making their biggest profits ever.

15 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

I find it interesting that in this 'energy crisis' energy companies are making their biggest profits ever.

Something to do with folk buying/using it, I suppose.......????

9 minutes ago, transam said:

Something to do with folk buying/using it, I suppose.......????

has anyone calculated what the staggering amount of energy saved during covid would add up to ? 

 

 

*Reply to hidden post*

 

Supply and demand, sunbeam, you want it, you pay for it....

 

????

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

I find it interesting that in this 'energy crisis' energy companies are making their biggest profits ever.

Shhhhhh....

That's the idea. 

The Green Ideals have little to do with environmental causes and much more to do with profits. 

From all sides of the convoluted bs.

 

The Big Green Lie.

11 hours ago, transam said:

Supply and demand, sunbeam, you want it, you pay for it....

 

????

And gouging, you need it, we have it... priced at a premium.

Mae Moh power station near Lampang in north-west Thailand is arguably the dirtiest electricity generator on the planet. It is fuelled by a lignite mine nearby which has proven reserves for the next 70 years, on current consumption.

If Thailand is shifting to renewables, perhaps some kind soul in public relations can explain why Mae Moh is upgrading and expanding its electricity generating capacity.

 

I need a large shaker of salt to take with this news.

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

perhaps some kind soul in public relations can explain why Mae Moh is upgrading and expanding its electricity generating capacity.

An increase in electric cars, expanding population. et al. Also maybe during said expansion they are adding better burners and scrubbers????

1 minute ago, VocalNeal said:

An increase in electric cars, expanding population. et al. Also maybe during said expansion they are adding better burners and scrubbers????

Point taken re an expanding population/electric cars.

Better burners and scrubbers remove fly ash and sulphur. They do nothing to remove CO2.

Natural gas producers strip CO2 out of extracted gas by scrubbing with towers of diethanolamine. They then have to put the stripped CO2 somewhere. It's a process which is impractical for electricity generators. The Second Law of Thermodynamics.

In terms of CO2 emissions in comparison to kW generated, lignite sits at the bottom of the totem pole w.r.to efficiency.

I'm not a chemist but large power boilers from memory use an amine solution which in theory can capture up to 85% of the CO2. The rub is then there needs to be a secondary process to strip out the CO2 so the amine can be used again. Then the CO2 needs to be treated and compressed/liquefied.

But then what to do with it if there is no industrial user of CO2 nearby. 

 

I suspect the Saraburi cement plants to also be huge CO2 emitters. 

Edited May 5, 20233 yr by VocalNeal

Can’t fix stupid. Must have been some very very thick brown envelopes. The cost have power has already rocketed beyond the reach of many in Thailand. This will have a horrendous economic impact at ground level.

Plans started under Yingluck already but were killed by next Govt.

Now a restart? Hopefully with Pita?

As it does not work anywhere they try.....Or actually it works, by the big companies moving to other countries and private people need to save electric like in 3rd world countries.
Renewable are great additional to the conventional....Run the airconditions on the day with solar panels, great thing. But don't shut down the coal plants complete and find out that you don't have electric at 6PM when consumption is still high but production low

A reported Off topic post has been removed.  Please do not move the topic in a different direction, that is considered hijacking the OP. The OP is not about the US or the UK.

 

The OP is:

Thailand accelerates shift to renewables amid global energy crisis fallout

4 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

I'm not a chemist but large power boilers from memory use an amine solution which in theory can capture up to 85% of the CO2. The rub is then there needs to be a secondary process to strip out the CO2 so the amine can be used again. Then the CO2 needs to be treated and compressed/liquefied.

But then what to do with it if there is no industrial user of CO2 nearby. 

 

I suspect the Saraburi cement plants to also be huge CO2 emitters. 

Carbon Capture and Storage ( CCS ) is one of the great scientific hoaxes. There is not a single CCS system on the planet that operates to design parameters, despite the billions of dollars that have been poured into CCS by governments and private enterprise.

 

The reason is quite simple. Engineers can't make an end run around the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

On 5/4/2023 at 3:31 AM, dinsdale said:

I find it interesting that in this 'energy crisis' energy companies are making their biggest profits ever.

Another example of a once in a generation opportunity to engage in savage profiteering, with Covid being the catalyst for unheard of corporate greed and massive gouging. Gas prices remain stubbornly high, yet oil prices continue to drop, and these goons are making record profits. 

Thailand and renewables in the same sentence seems oxymoronic. Is progress really bring made? That would be beyond amazing and wonderful. 

Coal and oil prices are dropping. Where is the crisis? 

21 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

But then what to do with it if there is no industrial user of CO2 nearby. 

Make your beer fizzy!

I can see some big backhanders going on can they harness that instead of pointless wind turbines ????