ASEAN to integrate power supplies to cut costs
By Digital Content



VIENTIANE, Sept 24 -- The 32nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) agreed to integrate the ASEAN energy market including electrical power trading among countries in the region to cut electricity generation costs and boost the global competitiveness of the region.

The agreement resulted from the AMEM held at the Don Chan Palace Hotel in Vientiane yesterday and today.

AMEM issued a joint statement on an electricity trading project between Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The project can turn Thailand into a trading hub for electricity.

Thai Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee said the four countries agreed in principle that the project would begin with Laos selling electricity directly to Singapore some 2,000 kilometers distant.

Tentatively Singapore will buy an initial 100 megawatts from Laos. The four countries will form a joint committee to study technical issues and the price for the power trade. Thailand will host a meeting of the committee in November.

"The good thing is that the ASEAN Power Grid project will begin and progress," the energy minister said.

The AMEM also discussed gas pipeline development because there would be transnational gas trade in the future, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-09-24

To be an efficient power trader Thailand must not only continue to diversify away from expensive power sources but also increase its energy efficiencies. For example energy management systems for all government/military facilities and government enterprises, public tax incentives for industrial and commercial energy efficient products, energy management systems for all major commercial establishments (ie., greater than 5,000 sm), fuel efficient vehicles, etc. Failure to do so will cause Thailand to become a net energy importer and ulitimately lose its competiveness with Mynamar and Laos.