Power usage in South 'acceptable'

[Lite Beer]

Power usage in South 'acceptable'
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Power demand in the South was still at an "acceptable ceiling" on Friday night - the first night of a maintenance closure on a major gas source, officials said yesterday.

The Thailand-Malaysia Joint Development Area JDA-A18 will be closed until July 10.

The Provincial Electricity Authority's Southern Region 2 Office - which houses an emergency centre - said the region's power usage peaked at 7.30pm on Friday at 2,162 megawatts (the ceiling was 2,300).

This figure was three per cent down on the previous day, the office said.

Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Phang Nga, Krabi, Phuket and Trang are under the office's supervision, with Surat Thani using most power on Friday night - 344 megawatts instead of the targeted 330. The other provinces had lower than expected usage, the office said.

Office director Wara Chanchao said the situation was under control but urged the public to reduce power consumption.

Nipon Arunsri, director of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand's Ratchaprapa Dam in Surat Thani, said Egat would run the dam's three power generators at their optimum to produce 240 megawatts daily during the 28-day gas-suspension period to minimise impacts on people.

-- The Nation 2014-06-15