Bangkok’s electrifying plan to bury cables sparks into life

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Bangkok citizens may have scoffed last year when the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) declared its grand plan to bury 1,454 kilometres of electrical cables underground over the next decade. It seemed like a shocking revelation but the sparks of doubt soon flickered away as the city geared up for the electrifying endeavour.

 

This initiative was further illuminated by the newly elected Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who sparked renewed enthusiasm when he took office two years ago.

 

The 57 year old city chief conductor unveiled a plan in June 2022 to zap away the eyesore cables that had cluttered Bangkok’s skyline since 1984. And it seems the current was flowing in the right direction, with city operatives this week buzzing around to remove cables along the length of Asok Montri Road, also known as Sukhumvit 21.

Chadchart illuminated his two-part plan to shock the city into action: to complete the 40 year old project of untangling the city’s messy power cables, replacing them with fresh strands, and burying them beneath the ground. While he didn’t plug in a specific timeframe for completion, he did acknowledge that a shocking number of the tangled electrical cables dangling around the streets were no longer in use and could be disconnected.

 

During a Cabinet meeting on May 17, 2022, sparks flew as the MEA’s project to plunge power and communication wires underground in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakarn was unveiled. This project, which began its circuit in 1984, had only managed to electrify 55.7 kilometres of cables out of its targeted 236 kilometres.

 

MEA Governor Wilas Chaloeysat, however, lit up the room as he outlined the project’s objectives, not merely aiming to improve the convenience of electricity distribution but also to amp up the efficiency of the system. This electrifying approach would implement smart technology to power up the management of the infrastructure, all part of the overarching concept of smart metro grids and smart meters, said Wilas.

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

“As of now, we’ve already rerouted 91 kilometres of electrical wires beneath the city’s surface. We’re gearing up to extend the reach of this project by a further 236.1 kilometres by 2027, with the total length of the wiring to be moved underground amounting to around 1,454 kilometres.”

 

This plan would also see a surge in the number of smart meters from 33,265 to a staggering 441,400 sets by 2027. This smart meter system would enable MEA staff to detect and zap system issues promptly, helping to address problems even before they cause a power outage, Wilas confirmed.

 

“We’re sparking big changes for the city’s residents to make life more convenient. We’re following our principle of ‘Go Smart, Go Digital, and Go Green’ for a sustainably charged future.”

 

It’s hoped the plan will recharge and re-energise the city. Time will tell.

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

by Bob Scott

TOP Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-05-17

 

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[retarius]

I simply cannot imagine how long this will take....but when I lived in the US, we had overhead cables for the first few years with all sorts of blackouts as squirrels fried themselves in our pot. They one year they put all the cables underground and never had a blackout again. So it might be painful to put them underground, but based on my experience there certainly was a benefit, not least to the squirrels. 

[impulse]

I salute them for reducing the eyesores, but those look like fiber optic data cables, with the power cables still standing.

 

“As of now, we’ve already rerouted 91 kilometres of electrical wires beneath the city’s surface. We’re gearing up to extend the reach of this project by a further 236.1 kilometres by 2027, with the total length of the wiring to be moved underground amounting to around 1,454 kilometres.”

 

I suspect that's a tiny fraction of the city's overhead power cable.  Anyone have a clue how many thousands and thousands of km are in the city?

 

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, retarius said:

I simply cannot imagine how long this will take....

They started burying the electric cables in Hat Yai over 4 years ago and they're still working on it. Most of the centre of town has been completed, but there's still a lot to do and they don't seem to including the sois just the main roads. As pointed out, this is the electric cables only, once the poles come down they seem to simply daisy chain the fibre and cable TV cables to the front of the buildings. Bangkok will take decades.

[newbee2022]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Bangkok citizens may have scoffed last year when the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) declared its grand plan to bury 1,454 kilometres of electrical cables underground over the next decade. It seemed like a shocking revelation but the sparks of doubt soon flickered away as the city geared up for the electrifying endeavour.

 

This initiative was further illuminated by the newly elected Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who sparked renewed enthusiasm when he took office two years ago.

 

The 57 year old city chief conductor unveiled a plan in June 2022 to zap away the eyesore cables that had cluttered Bangkok’s skyline since 1984. And it seems the current was flowing in the right direction, with city operatives this week buzzing around to remove cables along the length of Asok Montri Road, also known as Sukhumvit 21.

Chadchart illuminated his two-part plan to shock the city into action: to complete the 40 year old project of untangling the city’s messy power cables, replacing them with fresh strands, and burying them beneath the ground. While he didn’t plug in a specific timeframe for completion, he did acknowledge that a shocking number of the tangled electrical cables dangling around the streets were no longer in use and could be disconnected.

 

During a Cabinet meeting on May 17, 2022, sparks flew as the MEA’s project to plunge power and communication wires underground in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakarn was unveiled. This project, which began its circuit in 1984, had only managed to electrify 55.7 kilometres of cables out of its targeted 236 kilometres.

 

MEA Governor Wilas Chaloeysat, however, lit up the room as he outlined the project’s objectives, not merely aiming to improve the convenience of electricity distribution but also to amp up the efficiency of the system. This electrifying approach would implement smart technology to power up the management of the infrastructure, all part of the overarching concept of smart metro grids and smart meters, said Wilas.

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

“As of now, we’ve already rerouted 91 kilometres of electrical wires beneath the city’s surface. We’re gearing up to extend the reach of this project by a further 236.1 kilometres by 2027, with the total length of the wiring to be moved underground amounting to around 1,454 kilometres.”

 

This plan would also see a surge in the number of smart meters from 33,265 to a staggering 441,400 sets by 2027. This smart meter system would enable MEA staff to detect and zap system issues promptly, helping to address problems even before they cause a power outage, Wilas confirmed.

 

“We’re sparking big changes for the city’s residents to make life more convenient. We’re following our principle of ‘Go Smart, Go Digital, and Go Green’ for a sustainably charged future.”

 

It’s hoped the plan will recharge and re-energise the city. Time will tell.

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

by Bob Scott

TOP Picture courtesy of Darren Lyons

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-05-17

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

I didn't expect they really would proceed. But...congrats. They did it🙏

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Bangkok citizens may have scoffed last year when the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) declared its grand plan to bury 1,454 kilometres of electrical cables underground over the next decade. It seemed like a shocking revelation but the sparks of doubt soon flickered away as the city geared up for the electrifying endeavour.

Bury cables in a city that will be perpetually flooded if not under water by the end of the century

[josephbloggs]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Bury cables in a city that will be perpetually flooded if not under water by the end of the century

Yeah, let's just give up on everything, great idea.

Yawn.

[hotchilli]

Just now, josephbloggs said:

Yeah, let's just give up on everything, great idea.

Yawn.

No just come up with a better idea.

Yawn

[natway09]

See how it all works out after the monsoon flooding

[natway09]

There must be millions of dollars in that copper, I wonder where that money ends up ?

[Purdey]

Some reporters sure do have a lot of time on their hands.

The joke's on them as Bangkok will be flooded by the time they finish and that will be shocking to Bangkokians.

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Bury cables in a city that will be perpetually flooded if not under water by the end of the century

There is a solution. In the early 70s I worked on a contract training a Middle East air force. I asked one of my students fresh from the Academy if he could explain the difference between AC and DC electrics. He replied that "......AC runs through a wire and DC runs through a tube" adding "That's why submarines can run underwater" 😀

So, stop pulling your wire and start installing tubing. 😋

[thesetat]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

I salute them for reducing the eyesores, but those look like fiber optic data cables, with the power cables still standing.

 

“As of now, we’ve already rerouted 91 kilometres of electrical wires beneath the city’s surface. We’re gearing up to extend the reach of this project by a further 236.1 kilometres by 2027, with the total length of the wiring to be moved underground amounting to around 1,454 kilometres.”

 

I suspect that's a tiny fraction of the city's overhead power cable.  Anyone have a clue how many thousands and thousands of km are in the city?

 

The thing is... most of those wires were not being used. Common practice is/was to leave the wires there even if the service was terminated. When new service was needed they would install new wires. Seems their work is only on the cables for TV and phones and internet. 

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, thesetat said:

The thing is... most of those wires were not being used. Common practice is/was to leave the wires there even if the service was terminated. When new service was needed they would install new wires. Seems their work is only on the cables for TV and phones and internet. 

No, electric is going underground in most places too.

 

 

[Luuk Chaai]

I can see it now

[newnative]

Good.  Keep at it.