Krabi locals reject coal-fired power plants

[webfact]

Krabi locals reject coal-fired power plants
PAKAWAN ROJANASINGSAWAD
THE NATION

KRABI: -- A PLANNED coal-fired power plant could destroy the sustainable economic life cycle of Krabi and also affect the whole national economic system, the business sector in Krabi has warned.

The Save Andaman from Coal network in collaboration with the Energy and Natural Resources Policy Research Centre of Rangsit University has organised a seminar entitled "Coal-fired plants VS Andaman Tourism - Can They Co-exist?"

The gathering on Monday at Rangsit University's Viphavadee Study Centre will review the impact of coal-fired power plants and call on the government to terminate such projects in Krabi and at other Andaman coastal provinces.

Amarit Siripornjuthakul, chairman of Krabi Industry Council, defined the connections between three major economic activities in Krabi - agriculture, fisheries and tourism - which have supported local communities for generations. Coal, they said, could destroy this cycle.

Amarit reaffirmed the network itself was neither against the development nor the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat).

However, he suggested that Egat should use instead biodiesel energy like palm oil, which could be produced by the locals and benefit both the region and the nation.

"The latest Power Development Plan [PDP 2015] has contradicted the current world movement where most countries are trying to cut down the use of coal-fired energy, aware of its impact," he claimed.

The network revealed there were plans to operate nine more coal-fired power plants in Thailand according to the recent PDP, while Egat's 800 megawatt Klongrua coal-fired power plant is scheduled for Krabi's Nuea Khlong district. It was due to start construction in 2016 and be complete by 2019.

The Andaman issue has attracted most attention as tourism is the dominant economic engine of the region. Many local people are aware that the impact of a coal-fired plant might slow down the country's economic growth.

"The overall economy in the South is ranked third, worth 10.7 per cent of Thailand's GDP, behind only Bangkok and the East. But if tourism is destroyed, the economic situation could [suffer]," Wattana Thanasakcharorn, president of the Krabi Chamber of Commerce, said.

Other speakers included ML Kasiwat Kasemsri, a representative of the people's network, and Asst Prof Prasart Meetam, an independent scholar.

The campaign's supporters have also reviewed possible losses in terms of the economic and environmental impact of the coal-fired plant projects.

The representatives produced an official statement to the press demanding the government put an end to the coal-fired electricity-generating projects in Krabi.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Krabi-locals-reject-coal-fired-power-plants-30263469.html

-- The Nation 2015-07-01

[TheKnave]

If anyone visits Ban Krut, and sees the big Buddha and absolutely beautiful temple on top of the headland to the north, and also notices that, except for tourists, it is deserted most of the time, know that it was an attempt at a bribe by a company that wanted to build a coal-fired electricity plant nearby. The resistance by the locals was overwhelming, and became violent. The temple is seen by locals as a very bad place. In the end, no plant was built.

Hope Krabi does the same.

[fxe1200]

With the abundance of sun and wind (primarily in the Gulf of Siam), there are zillions of opportunities, to produce electricity in an environmental friendly way. But as long the politicians can only think "from twelve to noon", there will be no change.

[TontoMohammedGoldstein]

Coal: After factoring-in environmental and health costs; the most expensive form of energy known to man

Meanwhile, the price/Kw for hour for solar, has dropped precipitously since 2005. It's now on par with more traditional energy technologies.

Come on, Thailand. Do something different. Get out in front of an issue for a change.

[UKCanuk]

There's a bit more to this story than meets the eye. The niece has been trying to do a story on this for a few months now for an international news organisation and blockers keep popping up all over the place.

In the first place, the "authority which generates electricity in Thailand" has a tie up with a large Thai mining company who produce coal in Australia. If you're going to build a generating plant to produce any kind of meaningful electricity output, the clear answer is natural gas. It's cheaper both in price and transport cost as LNG which can be re-gasified at the site. It's also 70% cleaner burn and at a higher temperature than coal.

The niece was unable to get any interviews by academics in Thailand as the "generating authority" provides grants to the major universities who are fully backing the coal option. I pointed her to a couple of UK universities who gave a diametrically opposed view to what she heard from Thai academics.

Once she started asking more difficult questions, she was unable to get any more interviews and veiled threats were made: "Why are you hurting our country? Something bad will happen to you."

TIT.

[Mudcrab]

Which large Thai mining company would that be?

[UKCanuk]

Which large Thai mining company would that be?

She didn't specify when we were discussing the problems we were having on the story, but I would guess that the electricity generating authority would be who she meant. The have a subsidiary mining company who are also in Indonesia. If true, I think the term incest would apply.