Energy Minister Suggests 3 Fuel-saving Approaches

[george]

Energy minister suggests 3 fuel-saving approaches

BANGKOK: -- Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand on Wednesday

suggested that the public comply with three fuel-saving behaviours if they really

want to ease the pressure from the rising cost of living amid oil price surges.

First, consumers should consider using gasohol (a blend of 90% and 10% ethanol)

and bio-diesel in lieu of gasoline and diesel, because prices of the alternative fuel are much cheaper.

Consumption of premium gasohol could immediately save on their spending by

10 per cent.

Second, drivers should adjust their road behaviour by travelling at normal speeds,

because driving at high speeds, in addition to increasing the risk of accidents and

death, consumes fuel at a much higher rate and is consequently more expensive.

Third, drivers should make a trip plan whenever taking their vehicles to the road. Making

trips in logical sequence can save both time and money expended in fuel and tolls.

Mr. Piyasvasti said Thailand's oil imports this year had dropped considerably to just

Bt700-800 billion in value because more consumers are using alternative fuels such as gasohol and bio-diesel.

--TNA 2007-11-15

[Payboy]

drivers should adjust their road behaviour

[Big A]

Yep. Another world-beater.

[Martin]

ONLY 700-800 billion baht??

As the population of Thailand is 65 million, that equates to around 11,000 bahts per man, woman or child.

Agreed, a lot of it will be for the needs of industry and goods transportation, but it still indicates what a huge job the country has ahead of it to rid itself of the need to try to afford oil imports at the prices that oil is going to be rising through.

And oil prices have way, way to go up yet.

Slowly, it is dawning that the Shah of Persia was right when, forty years ago, he said:"Oil is too valuable to burn".

OPEC has said they aren't going to increase the delivery at a mere $100 per barrel.

It makes more sense for them to keep it in the ground to be available as the feedstock for pharmaceuticals and so forth for later generations of their descendants.

[jopham]

4th suggestion

Government employes will not use police escort any longer

[Scott]

I sometimes turn off my engine when I am at a traffic light--especially those that I know are very long lights (and when I am not at the very front of the line, where a slow start could mess things up for everyone else).

I've heard varying reports on this as a fuel savings method. I've heard it takes more fuel to restart your vehicle (mine is a diesel), and I've heard it's not affective unless done for 4 minutes. Anybody know know the statistics on this.

The a/c still works, a little--there is enough cool air in the system so that the fan keeps it cool enough.

[stumonster]

Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand

bio-diesel in lieu of gasoline and diesel, because prices of the alternative fuel are much cheaper.

could we see some numbers to support this , including government subsidies - and maybe some numbers on ownership of plantations and shares in similar by politicians and families

.

[brahmburgers]

First, consumers should consider using gasohol (a blend of 90% and 10% ethanol)

and bio-diesel in lieu of gasoline and diesel, because prices of the alternative fuel are much cheaper.

The jury is still out on ethanol - and objective scientific views are leaning to ethanol as not being cost -effective.

In Brazil, they do reasonably well - making ethanol from sugar cane. Because of the high sugar content, it costs about $3 to produce $5 of ethanol. In the States, they use corn, which has a lower sugar content and the cost to produce $5 of ethanol is about $4. That doesn't include transport and storage and pumping. If some really innovative thinkers got involved, they could devise a way to make ethanol by using solar energy.

Additional ways to lessen dependancy on fossil fuels:

Don't use a vehicle unless they really need to do so.

Carpool

Get rid of unnecessary stoplights, and adjust remaining stoplights to allow traffic to flow two ways concurrently. Currently, Intesections in Thailand only allow one out of four ingress lanes to move at any one time. By enabling concurrent right turns by opposing lanes (using turing arrow lights), then two lanes could be moving concurrently - thereby increasing traffic flow by 50% and lessening the unnecessary millions of hours each month that cars are idling at intersections.

Ride a bicycle. A whole book could be written about the many reasons bikes are a great mode of transport. Unfortunately, Thailand has a paucity of bike lanes or trails.

[Upcountry]

In Brazil, they do reasonably well - making ethanol from sugar cane. Because of the high sugar content, it costs about $3 to produce $5 of ethanol. In the States, they use corn, which has a lower sugar content and the cost to produce $5 of ethanol is about $4. That doesn't include transport and storage and pumping. If some really innovative thinkers got involved, they could devise a way to make ethanol by using solar energy.

Cellulosic ethanol is the new black.

It's made with either enzymes or a heat process. A production plant using heat is in rapid development in the US so it may be soon proven to to be an efficient way to make ethanol form wood chips, switchgrass, corn stalks or even kitchen refuse.

I'm crossing my fingers that the good sense of this method will overshadow the big business attached to the current method (always a bugaboo). If it does, maybe we can see ethanol as a decent oil alternative. But I still have to sell my 95 gas burner thanks to impending lack of availability.

Other than the forced move to gasohol (business/partly gov't) I agree with the minister's points (slower speeds, planned trips).

UC

[Tawai]

I wonder if the enrgy minister have ever spendt a thought about putting a HIGH enviromental tax on electrical waterheaters. IMHO they are using a lot of energy - could be done by solarpanels free. Solar panels are not so expensive and could be sponsored by gov. from money earned on enviromental tax.

If there would be a "starter" from gov. soon many local producers would jump on the waggon, wich would bring prices even more down through high competition.

A friend of mine did his own version of almost free waterheating (needed only a waterpump) by letting metal waterpipes run in serpentines behind glasspanels. Works fine in central europe - should be much better doing here.

Perhaps he should also consider to create a law that would it make illegal to let motorvehical engines run while parking.

Creating another law that would be abided by nearly none, at least the minister would have shown some sign of concern.

My thanks go to the minister for his so very helpfull tips.

[plachon]

I note the esteemed Energy Minister stopped short of actually suggesting to the public to reduce spending on fuel by reduced consumption. I mean, he gave three suggestions that were all basically about equal consumption, but if he suggested doing stuff that might seriously cut down on oil consumption like riding a bike, walking to the shops (shock! horror!) or downsizing your engine next time you buy a car or choosing to bai tiow to a waterfall near your home instead of half way across the country, then he would be treading on the toes of his lords and masters I guess.

Just think about the savings in fuel that could be achieved if just 50 % of students could be persuaded to ride a bicycle around their college campuses instead of a 2-stroke motorbike, or everytime they went from their halls to the nearest 7-11 to buy a can of coke. Or if the cost of driving large engine pick-up trucks and cars was doubled by a combination of increased taxes on new vehicles and putting a 2 baht/litre environmental tax on fuel, which could be put in a fund to subsidise post-fossil fuel economy research and practical efforts (like building bike lanes, designated tracks and special bike parks in city centres like they have in Holland and some other Euruopean countries). Thailand really could then claim to be a Third wave economy ahead of the pack, instead of trailing it by 5 decades, as in the case of the same Energy Minister recently calling for nuclear power stations to be built.

[brahmburgers]

Bunch of good suggestions. This general topic should be right among the top priorities in Thailand right now.

Thais are behind the times. They still don't 'get' such basic things as not tossing paper and plastic trash here and there. Or the burning plastic. But anyone can learn. It might happen little by little, or it might become an overnight trend (like buying pink shirts) - but let's hope Thais come to realize that conservation is the best way to ease dependence on fossil fuels. Using less of the stuff will save money and ease smog - sounds obvious, but current ways of thinking get in the way. For example: it's currently considered wimpy or nerdy to ride a bicycle - especially in a city. And VIP's must have escorts, entourage and have their motor route all to themselves - in order to flaunt their importance. The list goes on.

[Upcountry]

Indeed, priorities are mixed up.

For better or worse, I've been waiting for this country to drop tariff-like taxes on hybrid vehicles (so that dealers around the country might start selling/servicing them), but it hasn't happened. I really don't see any valid reason why this is still the case. They could be actively motivating Toyota, etc., to manufacture most of the cars here (if not the batteries).

Right now, there is a huge push to develop ethanol based on palm oil. I really hope that as soon as cellulosic ethanol (heat or enzyme) production is proven to be a more efficient way to do it, this country and others will shit their policies to produce ethanol without using arable/forest land or food products to power cars, etc.

But I'm not holding my breath. Why? Too much investment (and greedy paws in the gravy train) in the current environmentally unfriendly methods of producing ethanol already in use. These things are not easy to change.

[Tony Clifton]

Thousands of pick-up trucks are driving around at 10 kph selling vegetables and what not, burning 500 baht of fuel to make a meager 150 baht profit.

Others trucks ride around displaying advertisement when there's already a traffic problem and an orgy of advertisement to battle with.

Thousands and thousands of totally inefficient engines are wasting fuel and smoking up cities.

Lowering speed limits would help but relying on the police force wouldn't.

[Dupont]

You are all too cynical!

Thais are taking great steps to reduce fuel comsumption. Why only yesterday I saw at least three vehicles that the airport had taken out of commission by plouging them into the back of a pick up, one into a motorbike on Patong Hill and another valiantly crashed a limo into an airport mini bus, resulting in masive fuel savings over a period of a year if they keep this up.

One dead in the road in Kathu village as well, that I had almost forgotten as it was early morning. Incredibly!!! (not really for here) the car in front pulled over to let the amulance past which was going in the opposite direction to us, I pulled in behind him and.. and.. two pick ups tried to over take us and gridlocked the village center for a good five minutes with the ambulance unable to get past these idiots. This, despite the fact that we had just driven past a body laid in the road who was either dead already or in serious need of that ambulance.

More accidents seems to be the way to go, it gets vehicles off the road and scares holiday makers into not renting motor bikes.... doesn't it!

Sadly, all these taxis and mini bus accidents are killing the wrong people, ie, not the drivers of the vehicle at fault.

You might think this a mad idea, but how about getting illegal drivers and vehicles off the road, drink driving road blocks, speed cameras, helmet wearing, no driving on the wrong side of the road, no setting up food stalls on the road. Sorry, that is too far fetched isn't it, I'll go and have a lay down in a darkened room.

[AlexLah]

Energy minister suggests 3 fuel-saving approaches

BANGKOK: -- Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand on Wednesday

suggested that the public comply with three fuel-saving behaviours if they really

want to ease the pressure from the rising cost of living amid oil price surges.

First, consumers should consider using gasohol (a blend of 90% and 10% ethanol)

and bio-diesel in lieu of gasoline and diesel, because prices of the alternative fuel are much cheaper.

Consumption of premium gasohol could immediately save on their spending by

10 per cent.

Second, drivers should adjust their road behaviour by travelling at normal speeds,

because driving at high speeds, in addition to increasing the risk of accidents and

death, consumes fuel at a much higher rate and is consequently more expensive.

Third, drivers should make a trip plan whenever taking their vehicles to the road. Making

trips in logical sequence can save both time and money expended in fuel and tolls.

Mr. Piyasvasti said Thailand's oil imports this year had dropped considerably to just

Bt700-800 billion in value because more consumers are using alternative fuels such as gasohol and bio-diesel.

--TNA 2007-11-15

1. Does the EM take into account the higher fuel consumption when using Gasohol? Next to that does he take into account the amount of land that will be taken over from vegetable crops to crops that support production of Biofuel?

2. When are high speed cameras going to be installed every 100M as in Holland and have a system in place to charge the people that are speeding?

3. Where has he ever seen a Thai make a (Long time) plan?

[stumonster]

More bad rap on Asian biofuels

By Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK - European Union (EU) demand for Asian-produced biofuels, particularly palm oil, is coming at a high social and environmental cost, a report released on Tuesday by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) warns.

The UN agency in its annual "Human Development Report 2007/2008" cautioned countries in the region against following the lead taken by Indonesia and Malaysia, the main producers of palm oil as a biofuel.

"Expansion of cultivation of [oil palm] in East Asia has been associated with widespread deforestation and violation of human rights of indigenous people," said the report, entitled "Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world".

"Since 1999, EU demand for palm oil, primarily from Malaysia and Indonesia, has more than doubled to 4.5 million tons, or almost one-fifth of world imports," added the 384-page report. "Opportunities for supplying an expanding European Union market have been reflected in a surge of investment in palm oil production in East Asia."

UNDP climate change advisor Martin Krause said at the launch of the report in Bangkok: "There are a lot of safeguards that have to be built in if you want to make palm oil production environmentally sustainable. The debate on this has just begun."

continued here

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IK29Ae01.html

Edited November 29, 2007 by stumonster

[PattayaParent]

Thais already make huge contributions to saving fuel.

Just look at the motorcys with 3 or 4 passengers on them instead of using 2 motorcys, or the savings in fuel by not having to manufacture crash helmets (alas a saving soon to be lost).