Bio-diesel Planned To Be Produced By 2009

[Jai Dee]

ENERGY MINISTRY WILL FORMULATE PLANS FOR BIO-DIESEL FUEL PRODUCTION, TO BE COMPLETED BY 2009

The energy ministry will quickly formulate plans for bio-diesel fuel production, to be completed by 2009, to follow His Majesty the King’s advice.

Energy Minister Wiset Jupibal (วิเศษ จูภิบาล) revealed that the Energy Ministry is reviewing a plan to develop land to grow palms for bio-diesel production, adding that the plan will be completed sooner. He said that the bio-diesel production plan will now be finished within 3-4 years, with expectation that there will be 8.5 million liters of bio-diesel fuel produced each day.

Mr. Wiset added that the Ministry has also coordinated with the Agriculture Ministry in finding plots of land for oil palm production, adding that the Ministry wants 5 rai of land nationwide. He said the government will give compensation to farmers switching to grow oil palm.

The Energy Minister added that the ministry expects to grow 720,000 rai of plams by 2006. The production areas include Nongkhai (หนองคาย) and Nakornpanom (นครพนม).

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 08 December 2005

[Kringle]

Wish I had the dough to get a plant operating as there are a lot of other sources for feeding stock than just palm oil to make bio-diesel. Too bad Thailand is blind to this. Went to a discussion at one of the Universities here and all I could get from the talks is that each office wanted the recognition for getting it going without really coming up with workable solutions.

[astral]

How long does it take for a palm tree to reach maturity and produce

the fruit for the oil???????????

Only 5 Rai for the whole country (3rd para) seems a bit small?

Or is that all the Minister has to sell to "help" the project

Don't these trees need a humid enviroment?

Could be difficult to grow in Isaan............. but good for the stricken South.

Too little, too late, as usual

Edited December 8, 2005 by astral

[Ricardo]

Well I guess that it's a step in the right direction.

Another would be to make 3.0 litre engines illegal, for private vehicles, and force the down-sizing/down-powering of the planned 2 million cars per-annum. Having said which, I have to admit, I myself drive a big-engine car ... at the moment.

[seville]

It is a step in the right direction and cheers again to the King!!! He is such a good human being and I'm sure if he had more power Thailand would be well on it's way to being a more earthfriendly sustanable country.

There are so many plants that can be used to create bio-diesel, corn and hemp just to name two. Then of course there is the production of plastic type materials made from plants as well. Completely bio-degradable food containers etc.

Cheers to the King for at least trying to steer the country in a positive direction!!

[awarrumbungle]

How long does it take for a palm tree to reach maturity and produce

the fruit for the oil???????????

Only 5 Rai for the whole country (3rd para) seems a bit small?

Or is that all the Minister has to sell to "help" the project

Don't these trees need a humid enviroment?

Could be difficult to grow in Isaan............. but good for the stricken South.

Too little, too late, as usual

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All valid points except the last. Thailand is doing more than a lot of countries when it comes to biodiesal. Most Australians don't even know what it is (so they think I'm doubly mad when I toldl them I had fish and chip oil in the tank).

It may be a smallish step but at least it's a step. Hope they can look a bit broader at other ways of obtaining oil though...

[naka]

How long does it take for a palm tree to reach maturity and produce

the fruit for the oil???????????

Only 5 Rai for the whole country (3rd para) seems a bit small?

Or is that all the Minister has to sell to "help" the project

Don't these trees need a humid enviroment?

Could be difficult to grow in Isaan............. but good for the stricken South.

Too little, too late, as usual

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Takes about four years for a palm to start bearing fruit.

Oil palms need lots of water and lots of sun.

Oil palm gives the best returns of any oil seed crop, over 5 tonne oil/hectare/annum.

Naka

[astral]

Another would be to make 3.0 litre engines illegal, for private vehicles, and force

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not sure about 3L diesel, but my 2.5L was more economic than my previous

2L petrol vehicle. Better mpg or km/l.

[OZONE]

Bio-disel would be great for Thailand. Help eliminates polution. If you get your oil from McDonald's you can smell french fries

Bio-diesel is definitely not new and getting more popular for diesel drivers in the US since price of diesel went up

For those who cares, heres a website to make your own BIO-DIESEL: http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html

[Tufty]

It is a step in the right direction and cheers again to the King!!! He is such a good human being and I'm sure if he had more power Thailand would be well on it's way to being a more earthfriendly sustanable country.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Or maybe not

MAP TA PHUT, Thailand - December 7 - Greenpeace activists from Thailand, the Philippines and the United States today set up camp outside the main gate of the BLCP coal power plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, to draw attention to its climate killing impact and the Thai government's plans to open 18 more dirty power plants in the next decade.

"Coal is the main cause of climate change in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Greenpeace demands that construction on this site be stopped and a thorough review of the Thai Government's coal driven energy plan be undertaken immediately," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia spokesperson Tara Buakamsri from the camp. "We will stay here until our demands are met."

"It is ludicrous that in a region rich in potential for renewable energies like wind, biomass and solar power, governments, international financial institutions and industry continue with plans for the expansion of a dirty and harmful energy like coal," concluded Buakamsri.

Earlier this morning, with the Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior looking on, 4 activists unfurled banners saying "BLCP, Climate Killer" on the plant's coal unloading cranes.

http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1207-06.htm

Oops I think I may have spoken too soon

December 09, 2005

BLCP blockade ends: Thai government agrees to Greenpeace demand for national energy policy review

Rayong, THAILAND — In a major breakthrough at the end of a Greenpeace blockade of the BCLP coal facility at Map Ta Phut, the Thai National Economic and Social Advisory Council of the Prime Minister's office, has committed to review of the Government's energy policy.

Greenpeace considers this a major victory for the Thai people," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia spokesperson Tara Buakamsri from the sit-in which had disrupted the plant's operations today. "Thailand has a vast potential for clean, renewable energies such as modern biomass, wind and solar. It's time to shift government policy towards them."

"Coal plants like BLCP are the main cause of climate change," said Greenpeace International's Jean Francois Fauconnier aboard the Rainbow Warrior. "We came here asking the Thai government to review its coal-driven energy policy so that it could realistically commit to an 8% target for renewable energies by 2011 and now we have one. At a time when nations party to the Kyoto Protocol have been at the table discussing commitments to reducing greenhouse emissions in Montreal, it is incumbent on the government that they begin taking the issue of climate change seriously."

Coal has produced devastating environmental and health problems for both workers and neighbouring communities. It is a step forward that the government has committed to consult with affected communities who joined us here in peaceful protest today," concluded Buakamsri.

http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/en/news/b...-ends-thai-gove

Edited December 10, 2005 by Tufty

[Jai Dee]

ENERGY MINISTRY TO PLANT 5 MILLION RAI OF PALM TREES, SPEEDING UP BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

The Deputy Permanent-Secretary of Energy, Mr PORNCHAI RUJIPRAPHA (พรชัย รุจิประภา), is driving his work at a faster speed in promoting biodiesel by planting 5 million RAI of palm trees in the south, east, and north-east of the country in 2006, surging raw materials production of alternative energy.

Mr. PORNCHAI will also call a meeting of related agencies to settle the amount of oil palm on December 19th. As the ministry’s proposal, the cabinet has set the biodiesel formula in the portion of 5% in 2011 and 10% in 2012, calculated as 8.5 million litres per day while Thailand can produce 500,000 litres per day at the moment.

The meeting on December 19th will include a consideration of palm oil storage and importing raw materials aiming at producing an alternative energy.

The difference between the price of ordinary diesel and bio-diesel is between 50 to 75 satang per litre. However, the discussion of the pricing of the new alternative energy will be held again in January 2006, for the most appropriate price.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 12 December 2005