Thailand’s renewable energy policy unsuccessful

[webfact]

Thailand’s renewable energy policy unsuccessful
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Dec 31 – The Thai private sector has called on the government to sustainably promote its renewable energy policy in light of failures in several projects.

The Renewable Energy Group under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) reported that large industries consuming 6-50 megawatts of energy had been successful in using biogas while smaller industries were unsuccessful in the project.

The Energy Policy and Planning Office has granted a 20 per cent subsidy to about 300 projects which consume biogas but the waste-to-energy project has failed due to unattractive incentives.

The reported FTI failure in applying waste incineration systems occurred after producers sold energy at less than 50 per cent of the projection.

The FTI said the project to recycle plastic waste to oil was also failed and many plants were shut down, leading the organisation to call on the government to revise the renewable energy policy. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-12-31

[Patje]

No wonder, there aren't any rules, TIT !!

[123thaibourbon]

Bkk, Rome not built in a day, exception CHAMPS in China. http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/ifs/CHAMPS%20EIU%20China.pdf

Edited December 31, 2013 by 123thaibourbon

[GazR]

Hub of Flubs

[Cloggie]

Can they provide us with a list of SUCCESFUL projects over teh last few years?

[davehowden]

"Renewable Energy" - how much more sunlight, heat, and rice stubble do you need for God's sake.

Stop subsidising electricty and start subsidising renewables, or even using the rice mountain for biogas instead of leaving it to rot in wharehouses, start thinking laterally for just once in your lives.

[crazygreg44]

what a big dream, turning the wheel backwards and make OIL again from all the plastic waste !! How would somebody experienced in polycyclic chemistry ever try to think of it ?

[JRSoul]

Even with big subsidies, many renewable energy projects fail due to their small scale. Some years back in Sydney a diesel engine was converted to run a methane produced from a covered garbage dump, driving an alternator and supplying energy to the grid. Even when the gas was stored and the generation was only during the peak load periods (peak electricity price also) the value of the energy was less than routine maintenance costs.

Raising the price of electricity to make renewable schemes viable is not an attractive solution to low income earners. As they are numerous and have proved susceptible to populism, is it any surprise that that solution hasn't been applied.

Edited December 31, 2013 by JRSoul

[rocketron57]

Often wondered why you see so few solar panels here. I would have thought that if they are viable anywhere this would be the place.

Edited December 31, 2013 by rocketron57

[SOTIRIOS]

...I was told that there were a few 'players' that tried to corner the market for biomass, biogas, biofuel...and the raw materials that they are derived from...

...when they couldn't...they just let it drop......

...obviously the motive was never any social benefits.....

[mausplan]

I also looked into this with an O/S group. The project killer was the unreliability of getting the raw stock, the garbage on time all the time. There were unions and local councils and and and and in our opinion it was a minefield we could not defeat.

[JRSoul]

Often wondered why you see so few solar panels here. I would have thought that if they are viable anywhere this would be the place.

You have answered your own question. If you really want to know more you need to look at energy in/out ratios, solar availability, the level of subsidisation in countries that have invested heavily, along with the subsequent electricity price increases and supply problems. Try to stay away from the sales pitches and the 'save the planet' sites, head for the dry engineering articles - they might be hard reading but much more informative.

[stubuzz]

Often wondered why you see so few solar panels here. I would have thought that if they are viable anywhere this would be the place.

1. They are extremely expensive to buy here. (tax)

2. When they get too hot, output is lowered.

Wind is a better alternative. It is available 24 hours a day.

[Thormaturge]

Weren't there plans for a nuclear power station?

[i claudius]

Forget the windmills and the solar energy ,just a waste of time and money ,nuclear power is the only way to keep the lights on in the future ,just look at the mess the UK energy market is in because of the tree huggers

[Thai at Heart]

Lol. The system is bloody wonderful if you are/were an investor in say solar farms. You will get an spectacular return.

I think what they are saying is the someone stopped the gravy train and investors can't make 20% with their eyes closed.

Edited December 31, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[Bluespunk]

Forget the windmills and the solar energy ,just a waste of time and money ,nuclear power is the only way to keep the lights on in the future ,just look at the mess the UK energy market is in because of the tree huggers

Look at the mess in Japan. Look at the mess that is storage of nuclear waste. Look at Chernobyl. Yes all down to human error and stupidity, but humans unfortunately are prone to error and stupidity. Nuclear energy is not the solution, certainly not here.

[belg]

LOS could or should be

Land of SUN

so many hours daily of sun, compared to western countries where homes get their installation almost for free with little sun ...

too bad no subsidy overhere, or we would have applied...

[Thai at Heart]

LOS could or should be

Land of SUN

so many hours daily of sun, compared to western countries where homes get their installation almost for free with little sun ...

too bad no subsidy overhere, or we would have applied...

Of course there was a subsidy. It was for solar farms and licences were auctioned to a lot of people with no interest or ability to set it up themselves. They sold or partnered into very profitable investment.

And they will watch the money roll in for 25 years, if I remember the duration correctly.

[Mojomor]

A few short years ago, I tried to get involved in solar, with a Thai partner. When he told them there was a Farang involved they lost interest immediately. Ah well, that's life. Their loss --- it was quite a good idea based on flexible demand response.

[Soi Sauce]

Solar is perfect for here, but the trouble would be that the politicos could not overcharge for the free electricity it would generate.

If there's no money in it for the big boys, it will never happen.

Sad, as a big man in Thailand is into sustainability.

[Thai at Heart]

Solar is perfect for here, but the trouble would be that the politicos could not overcharge for the free electricity it would generate.

If there's no money in it for the big boys, it will never happen.

Sad, as a big man in Thailand is into sustainability.

Every bill payer is busy paying a rather small group of investors very handsomely for their generous investments

[JRSoul]

A few short years ago, I tried to get involved in solar, with a Thai partner. When he told them there was a Farang involved they lost interest immediately. Ah well, that's life. Their loss --- it was quite a good idea based on flexible demand response.

I am very interested how you combine solar and flexible demand response, as the 2 are mutually exclusive.

[davehowden]

Forget the windmills and the solar energy ,just a waste of time and money ,nuclear power is the only way to keep the lights on in the future ,just look at the mess the UK energy market is in because of the tree huggers

The UK is in a mess energywise because of very poor government thinking/ planning, or lack thereof.

Now we have some ridiculous nuclear deal with the Chinese and French for God's sake.

[Cloggie]

Often wondered why you see so few solar panels here. I would have thought that if they are viable anywhere this would be the place.

1. They are extremely expensive to buy here. (tax)

2. When they get too hot, output is lowered.

Wind is a better alternative. It is available 24 hours a day.

Wind is a better alternative. It is available 24 hours a day.

Wind is - just like solar - now always available, I don't know where you live but today is windless where I live......

[takkatan in the land]

Weren't there plans for a nuclear power station?

A nuclear power station, managed by Thai workers?

don't you think it may be a bit risky?

[moe666]

Often wondered why you see so few solar panels here. I would have thought that if they are viable anywhere this would be the place.

1. They are extremely expensive to buy here. (tax)

2. When they get too hot, output is lowered.

Wind is a better alternative. It is available 24 hours a day.

Wind is a better alternative. It is available 24 hours a day.

Wind is - just like solar - now always available, I don't know where you live but today is windless where I live......

Wind energy is a subset of solar energy as the sun causes wind patterns. But wind is not available 24 hours a day, there tend to be better locations for wind farms to be efficient they have to be located were there is constant wind, along the coast, in mountain passes, and in certain plains areas. I live in Chiang Mai and would venture to say there isn't enough wind locally to substain wind energy farms.

[NeverSure]

The sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow, but people always need electricity.

It simply costs more to build, maintain and operate solar panels and wind mills than you get in return in electricity. They always have to be government subsidized and yet no government has figured out how to make the wind blow or the sun shine at night or on cloudy days.

In the US many rich people are getting richer from windmills. They get a subsidy plus a tax break. But it makes the do-gooders feel good.

And yet the US has several hundred years worth of good coal and the technology to burn it cleanly, at least 100 years of natural gas already drilled and finding more all the time, and massive rivers to power hydroelectric dams in the West. All of those are profitable and are owned by utility companies which have some of the best stock on the stock market.

Warren Buffet owns 6 or 7 large electric utilities in the Western US himself, and they are very profitable without subsidies.

Edited January 1, 2014 by NeverSure

[Patje]

They blame it on the sun.... not enough

[MaxLee]

I predict a serious energy and sudden blackout crisis BESIDES the upcoming floods AND other natural disasters, because the Thai-Chinese feudal brigade didn't prepare in advance and keep borrowing energy resources etc., from Fakang land,...

... And if one day, no energy nation wide, blame the Falang AND the taxpayer public for wasting too much energy...