BURIRAM - Thailand plans to spend $20 billion on energy projects and conservation programmes over the next four years, according to a government document to be submitted to the country's cabinet on Tuesday.

The 800-billion-baht investment scheme known as the Energy Master Plan will focus on three areas -- optimising use of hydrocarbon fuels, boosting energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy resources.

The scheme could add value to the country's petrochemical industry and trim Thailand's energy bill by 200 billion baht in 2009, said the document handed out to reporters on Monday.

The plan includes 130 billion baht for new gas pipelines and expanding refinery capacity, 320 billion baht to build new petrochemical plants, and 14 billion baht to enlarge oil tank farms.

The document did not say by how much refinery capacity would be increased, but a senior energy ministry official said earlier this month Thailand would need one or two new refineries in five years because its six refineries were running at full capacity.

On the upstream front, the plan proposed to spend 7.6 billion baht a year for petroleum exploration and production in Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Middle East and Africa, the document said.

It also included a 116-billion baht proposal to use 3.2 million acres of farmland for growing fuel crops like sugarcane, tapioca and palm. They would be mixed with hydrocarbon fuels to reduce the country's dependence on imported oil products.

Another senior energy ministry official said last week Thailand planned to ban sales of octane booster MTBE and gasoline 95 and use ethanol-blended gasoline known as gasohol from January 1, 2006, a year ahead of its previous plan.

Thailand currently uses eight million litres of gasoline 95, a mix of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), and plans to halve that amount by the end of this year, the cabinet document said.

The energy plan also aims to cut diesel and gasoline consumption in the transport sector by 10 percent by promoting the use of locally-produced natural gas, which is cheaper than diesel. Import duties on natural gas-powered vehicles would also be reduced.

Thailand imported 870,000 barrels of crude per day last year, or 90 percent of its daily use, which was worth 487 billion baht, the document said.

They could make great fuel savings just by educating drivers that it's not necassary to rush and fill any available gap !!!! also it's not necassary to go full throttle at a red light thinking it will change to green by the tme you reach it.... only to find it doesn't change to green in time and hence having to slam on the brakes !!!!

They could make great fuel savings just by educating drivers that it's not necassary  to rush and fill any available gap !!!!  also it's not necassary to go full throttle at a red light thinking it will change to green by the tme you reach it.... only to find it doesn't change to green in time and hence having to slam on the brakes !!!!

A spot of maintenance on their big diesel engines (buses and trucks) would reduce both fuel usage and 'orrible black smoke polution.

"Maintenance", what's that, it runs so it doesn't need fixing.