Krabi power plant: Prayut considers deploying mediator to end the stand-off

[webfact]

KRABI COAL-FIRED POWER PROJECT
Prayut considers deploying mediator to end the stand-off
Anapat Deechuay,
Suchat Sritama,
Jeerapong Prasertponkrung



BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-ocha is considering the option of finding a neutral figure to mediate in the conflict over the project to set up a coal-fired power plant in Krabi province.

The project, planned by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), has attracted both strong support and opposition.

Major entrepreneurs in Krabi believe the project is necessary to accommodate the expected business and economic growth in the region, but opponents are worried the planned plant will damage the local environment as well as local way of life.

"The Energy Ministry has the duty to explain the project to the people, including those who disagree. But if they can't talk, I will find a neutral figure for mediation," Prayut said. He added that he had received reports that the Energy Ministry had tried to communicate with the projects' opponents but in vain.

Energy Ministry permanent secretary Kurujit Nakhonthap said in a statement yesterday that the coal-fired power plant would not adversely affect the livelihood of the locals or the environment and tourism industry of the southern province.

He explained that the project would be implemented as per environmental laws.

"The clean-coal power plant, to replace an old lignite-fired power plant, is to ensure sufficient power supply under the Power Development Plan 2015, particularly for the South," he said.

He insisted that Thailand needed to diversify its electricity-generating fuels, as about 70 per cent of electricity was being generated from natural gas. If the power plant were delayed indefinitely as demanded by the opponents, Thailand would need to import more natural gas, and that would push up power tariffs and affect all sections of Thai society.

In a bid to ease the opposition to the coal-fired power plant in Krabi, he said the ministry was ready to discuss with the protesters their three demands: to cancel the environmental impact assessment report, to postpone the August 5 bid submission, and to form a joint committee.

Lately, many groups of opponents have become active. Some have been staging a hunger strike while some have threatened lawsuits. Yesterday, some also marched around Government House.

Hotel operators in the Southern region, so far, have expressed support for the power plant on grounds that it could prevent energy shortages, particularly during the high season.

Tunyaratt Achariyachai, vice president of Kata Group Resorts, one of most famous hotel groups in Phuket, said all major cities in the region would need more electricity because of the increase in the number of investment projects and business expansion.

Many more hotels and resorts are being developed in key tourist destinations along the Andaman coast, particularly in Phuket and Krabi, as well as Samui in the Gulf of Thailand.

"Existing hotels have been facing shortages of electricity for years, especially during the peak season. Samui and Phuket, for instance, have faced energy crises, so we don't want to see that again," Tunyaratt said.

According to Tunyaratt, who served as senator from 2008-14, a lot of foreign tourists are expected to visit Phuket, Krabi and Samui this year and over the next five years. That calls for building up reserves of energy in advance, she said.

"Many hotels in the Southern region have called for more power plants. But when this demand draws opposition from others, we will need to talk and explore solutions together," she said.

Prasitchai Noonual, a prominent member of the Andaman Protection Network, yesterday said seven soldiers had tried to intimidate his mother in Phatthalung province over his role in the movement against the power plant.

"They came to my mother's house in the morning and warned her that she seriously needed to stop me from protesting," Prasitchai said at a press conference.

Also at the press conference was Panthep Puapongpan, who represents the People's Network for Thailand's Energy Reform.

"We demand that the government organise a forum for all sides to present their opinions on the project, and this forum should be broadcast live nationwide," Panthep said.

Prasitchai said that if officials had solid information to counter his group's concerns, they should present it clearly.

"Don't try to intimidate us," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Prayut-considers-deploying-mediator-to-end-the-sta-30265020.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-23

[taff33]

NIMBY's spring to mind.

[halloween]

Why would they want to cancel the EIA?

[davehowden]

Why would they want to cancel the EIA?

Depends who is producing it maybe?

[MockingJay]

Mediator appointed by Mr. P? Well, basically that means protesters will either shut up or be deported into a camp for attitude readjustment, right? Great, so we got this sorted and I can hand in my overinflated quote for the construction of the coal plant along with an envelope... pheeew, already feared I'd lose this deal

Edited July 23, 2015 by MockingJay

[dageurreotype]

Tunyaratt Achariyachai, vice president of Kata Group Resorts, one of most famous hotel groups in Phuket, said all major cities in the region would need more electricity because of the increase in the number of investment projects and business expansion.

Which is precisely why their wings should be clipped. The sprawling uglification of oversupply on Phuket continues unabated.

[Eric Loh]

Not in the carefully crafted OP is a typical curt retort by Prayuth that if protestors don't need the power plant, they can walk around in lanterns.

[dageurreotype]

Not in the carefully crafted OP is a typical curt retort by Prayuth that if protestors don't need the power plant, they can walk around in lanterns.

He simply can't stop himself can he.

[halloween]

Trying to educate the ignorant and ill-informed is like trying to clean the Augean stables, especially when equine anus' keep feeding them more horse shit. Allowing them to interfere with decisions regarding which they have plenty of opinions about exaggerated and unlikely effects, but very little knowledge, is simply a waste of time and money and one of the worst facets of a so called "free society".

Everybody should be allowed an opinion, and it should be given weight commensurate to the level of knowledge that led to it. Qualifications, experience and scientific studies add a lot more weight than claims of "the sky will fall" or "we'll all be ruined" no matter how many take up the cry. Not so long ago, the vast majority believed the Earth was flat and the sun revolved around it.

EGAT's position is that new power stations are required to replace older stations and to meet growing demand. Natural gas reserves are being depleted. Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable way to generate electricity, and until richer countries can develop better technology, must be high on the option list.

Where are they wrong?

[NongKhaiKid]

Neutral, independent etc. do such people exist in LoS given how the system works for those wishing to succeed or at least survive ?

[brucec64]

By mediators he means the army and by end the stand off he means to forcefully push through his agenda.

[Traveling Sailor]

Trying to educate the ignorant and ill-informed is like trying to clean the Augean stables, especially when equine anus' keep feeding them more horse shit. Allowing them to interfere with decisions regarding which they have plenty of opinions about exaggerated and unlikely effects, but very little knowledge, is simply a waste of time and money and one of the worst facets of a so called "free society".

Everybody should be allowed an opinion, and it should be given weight commensurate to the level of knowledge that led to it. Qualifications, experience and scientific studies add a lot more weight than claims of "the sky will fall" or "we'll all be ruined" no matter how many take up the cry. Not so long ago, the vast majority believed the Earth was flat and the sun revolved around it.

EGAT's position is that new power stations are required to replace older stations and to meet growing demand. Natural gas reserves are being depleted. Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable way to generate electricity, and until richer countries can develop better technology, must be high on the option list.

Where are they wrong?

To answer your question, "Where are they wrong?", they are wrong when they proclaim that the plant will use "Clean Coal". There is no such thing. They are also wrong to ignore other, renewable forms of electricity because "Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable". Solar has come a very long way in the last 30 years. At this point in time, if you care to believe recent news reports, solar power now compares favorably with coal and is 1000 times more environmentaly friendly. Egat is wrong to assume that they are the only ones in the country, or in the world, who know anything about electricity generation. There are many experts out there in the big, wide world. Egat is just too Thai to acknowledge their existance or admit that they don't know everything. The Dinos at Egat need to get out of their 19th century thinking and join the rest of the world in the present. There are countries that have done wonderful things with solar, wind and bio technology. There is no need to make the citizens of Krabi provence suffer any more from polution than they already have. The old war horse has promised "happiness to the people". Well, here is a chance for him to "put his money where is mouth is".

[Si Thea01]

What ignorant fools, going on about having a coal fired power station upgraded to give them cheap electricity. As Halloween pointed out, it is the cheapest form of electricity so if they want to go to alleged clean energy, then wait until they cop their bill. Any one who says they are dirty are full of BS, the modern technology today makes what they produce very clean and if anyone says that is pollution coming from the stacks, they are also ignorant. It is purely steam, with contaminants being contained within filters and other procedures that are at work within the plant. Hope they don't want windmills, visual pollution, proven to cause various illnesses, kills birds that fly into the blades, power cost 4 times that of coal, nothing if the wind ain't a blowing, required heavy subsidies otherwise no one will build them. It goes on an on but those in favour never tell you this. Solar, nothing when the sun don't shine and costs 10 times that of coal. These people are being led by others who obviously have their own secret agenda, it's called greed. If they can blindside one lot, then it becomes open slather for them.

[halloween]

Trying to educate the ignorant and ill-informed is like trying to clean the Augean stables, especially when equine anus' keep feeding them more horse shit. Allowing them to interfere with decisions regarding which they have plenty of opinions about exaggerated and unlikely effects, but very little knowledge, is simply a waste of time and money and one of the worst facets of a so called "free society".

Everybody should be allowed an opinion, and it should be given weight commensurate to the level of knowledge that led to it. Qualifications, experience and scientific studies add a lot more weight than claims of "the sky will fall" or "we'll all be ruined" no matter how many take up the cry. Not so long ago, the vast majority believed the Earth was flat and the sun revolved around it.

EGAT's position is that new power stations are required to replace older stations and to meet growing demand. Natural gas reserves are being depleted. Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable way to generate electricity, and until richer countries can develop better technology, must be high on the option list.

Where are they wrong?

To answer your question, "Where are they wrong?", they are wrong when they proclaim that the plant will use "Clean Coal". There is no such thing. They are also wrong to ignore other, renewable forms of electricity because "Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable". Solar has come a very long way in the last 30 years. At this point in time, if you care to believe recent news reports, solar power now compares favorably with coal and is 1000 times more environmentaly friendly. Egat is wrong to assume that they are the only ones in the country, or in the world, who know anything about electricity generation. There are many experts out there in the big, wide world. Egat is just too Thai to acknowledge their existance or admit that they don't know everything. The Dinos at Egat need to get out of their 19th century thinking and join the rest of the world in the present. There are countries that have done wonderful things with solar, wind and bio technology. There is no need to make the citizens of Krabi provence suffer any more from polution than they already have. The old war horse has promised "happiness to the people". Well, here is a chance for him to "put his money where is mouth is".

I await links to a trusted source that nominates solar as cheaper or more reliable than coal. For example, a solar power station is being built at Moree in NSW at an initial estimate cost of AU$1 billion. It will produce a peak of 56MW, I estimate less than 270MWh/d. Whoopeee!

The Krabi plant @ 840MW should easily supply 18,000MWh/d allowing for a very unlikely 10% down time.

The only reason that solar is considered more environmentally friendly is because the pollution is where the cells are produced, and the pollutants are far more serious than CO₂

[Si Thea01]

Trying to educate the ignorant and ill-informed is like trying to clean the Augean stables, especially when equine anus' keep feeding them more horse shit. Allowing them to interfere with decisions regarding which they have plenty of opinions about exaggerated and unlikely effects, but very little knowledge, is simply a waste of time and money and one of the worst facets of a so called "free society".

Everybody should be allowed an opinion, and it should be given weight commensurate to the level of knowledge that led to it. Qualifications, experience and scientific studies add a lot more weight than claims of "the sky will fall" or "we'll all be ruined" no matter how many take up the cry. Not so long ago, the vast majority believed the Earth was flat and the sun revolved around it.

EGAT's position is that new power stations are required to replace older stations and to meet growing demand. Natural gas reserves are being depleted. Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable way to generate electricity, and until richer countries can develop better technology, must be high on the option list.

Where are they wrong?

To answer your question, "Where are they wrong?", they are wrong when they proclaim that the plant will use "Clean Coal". There is no such thing. They are also wrong to ignore other, renewable forms of electricity because "Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable". Solar has come a very long way in the last 30 years. At this point in time, if you care to believe recent news reports, solar power now compares favorably with coal and is 1000 times more environmentaly friendly. Egat is wrong to assume that they are the only ones in the country, or in the world, who know anything about electricity generation. There are many experts out there in the big, wide world. Egat is just too Thai to acknowledge their existance or admit that they don't know everything. The Dinos at Egat need to get out of their 19th century thinking and join the rest of the world in the present. There are countries that have done wonderful things with solar, wind and bio technology. There is no need to make the citizens of Krabi provence suffer any more from polution than they already have. The old war horse has promised "happiness to the people". Well, here is a chance for him to "put his money where is mouth is".

I await links to a trusted source that nominates solar as cheaper or more reliable than coal. For example, a solar power station is being built at Moree in NSW at an initial estimate cost of AU$1 billion. It will produce a peak of 56MW, I estimate less than 270MWh/d. Whoopeee!

The Krabi plant @ 840MW should easily supply 18,000MWh/d allowing for a very unlikely 10% down time.

The only reason that solar is considered more environmentally friendly is because the pollution is where the cells are produced, and the pollutants are far more serious than CO₂

Agree with you one hundred percent. It didn't take long for the so called environmentalists to climb aboard and they will only be happy when we are all living back in caves and freezing our you know whats off. They go on about renewable energy because it's allegedly cheaper, which is rubbish and because it produces less CO2. So what are they trying to say, let's spend billions that everyone else has to pay for through subsidies and that this invisible, tasteless, odourless gas is harmful. It's in our bodies, it is released when we exhale, the plants thrive on it, it allows then to grow and in turn, provides us with oxygen so we can live. I don't see humans dropping off the planet because of it.

Tell the Chinese, they're building a new coal fired station every day to meet their needs, they're not stupid, and as for there not being any such thing as clean coal, I suggest the detractor does a bit of research into the technology before plodding away on his keyboard with that misinformation. EGAT is wrong, is he privy to the expertise they have or just sensationalising his post with assumptions. I know who is wrong and needs to get out of the 19th century thinking but he won't admit it

Of course there are many forms of manufacturing electricity but why use scare tactics to frighten people with them just because of the beliefs of a few about coal. He also needs to research about clean coal technology, how it cuts pollution and then the cost of peoples electricity accounts to see just how much they have risen over the past few years owing to this renewable energy rubbish. One example is Australia, where people this winter, not only pensioners but many others are not even using heaters because of the astronomical costs forced upon them because the fools in government believe the same BS that he does.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Si Thea01

[Eric Loh]

Trying to educate the ignorant and ill-informed is like trying to clean the Augean stables, especially when equine anus' keep feeding them more horse shit. Allowing them to interfere with decisions regarding which they have plenty of opinions about exaggerated and unlikely effects, but very little knowledge, is simply a waste of time and money and one of the worst facets of a so called "free society".

Everybody should be allowed an opinion, and it should be given weight commensurate to the level of knowledge that led to it. Qualifications, experience and scientific studies add a lot more weight than claims of "the sky will fall" or "we'll all be ruined" no matter how many take up the cry. Not so long ago, the vast majority believed the Earth was flat and the sun revolved around it.

EGAT's position is that new power stations are required to replace older stations and to meet growing demand. Natural gas reserves are being depleted. Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable way to generate electricity, and until richer countries can develop better technology, must be high on the option list.

Where are they wrong?

Halloween, just asking if you will say the same strong condemnation of the activists back in September 2011 protesting EGAT coal fire power plant in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

[halloween]

Trying to educate the ignorant and ill-informed is like trying to clean the Augean stables, especially when equine anus' keep feeding them more horse shit. Allowing them to interfere with decisions regarding which they have plenty of opinions about exaggerated and unlikely effects, but very little knowledge, is simply a waste of time and money and one of the worst facets of a so called "free society".

Everybody should be allowed an opinion, and it should be given weight commensurate to the level of knowledge that led to it. Qualifications, experience and scientific studies add a lot more weight than claims of "the sky will fall" or "we'll all be ruined" no matter how many take up the cry. Not so long ago, the vast majority believed the Earth was flat and the sun revolved around it.

EGAT's position is that new power stations are required to replace older stations and to meet growing demand. Natural gas reserves are being depleted. Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable way to generate electricity, and until richer countries can develop better technology, must be high on the option list.

Where are they wrong?

Halloween, just asking if you will say the same strong condemnation of the activists back in September 2011 protesting EGAT coal fire power plant in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Why wouldn't I? Because a different government was in office? That's your problem, not mine.

Edit to add - not all in favour of burning lignite if that was the case then. Better to leave it in the ground a few thousand years.

Edited July 23, 2015 by halloween

[fred Kubasa]

Will the "Neutral " mediator be armed !