Songkhla power plant to fulfil dream to be 'energy city'

[webfact]

Power plant to fulfil dream to be 'energy city'
SOMCHAI SAMART
THE NATION

SONGKHLA OFFICIAL URGES CRITICS OF |COAL-FIRED PROJECT TO LISTEN TO ALL SIDES

SONGKHLA: -- THE SOUTHERN province of Songkhla - an "energy city" already earning Bt100 billion from its gas separation facility, power plants and oil rig sites - could also have potential for a coal-fired power plant, said Niphon Bunyamanee, president of the Songkhla Provincial Administration Organisation.

Niphon also said that if Songkhla was to be proved suitable for coal-fired power plants, the information should be studied and measures to prevent and minimise impacts put in place. "People should listen to all sides - especially environmental academics' opinions - not just criticise based on one's own feelings," he said.

His comment was made following the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat)'s declaration last week that the third public review session (July 27-28) on its coal-fired power plant and coal pier project in Songkhla's Thepha district had been a success.

It had received support from most of those attending. Egat also planned to use the "Thepha model" for other projects in the future.

Niphon said that Songkhla might be suitable for a coal-fired power plant, as it already owned a gas separation plant, electric power plants as well as oil rigs around Koh Nu.

The province's gas separation plant sold Bt35 billion worth of gas per year to Egat.

The gas was used in generating power at 600 megawatts (MW) per day resulting in another income of Bt45 billion, he said. About 20,000 barrels of oil were sold daily for an additional income of almost Bt30 billion a year. "So about Bt100 billion alone springs from energy produced through the process in Songkhla," he said.

He predicted that, if combined with expected income from new power sources, the income figure could rise to Bt300 billion - or 30 per cent of the province's GDP.

If constructed, the Thepha coal-fired power plant would be the biggest producing station in the South. Its two machines could produce a total of 2,200MW of electricity. If further combined with two machines in the Chana gas power plant, Songklha would have the capacity to produce 3,730MW - more than the South's current electricity-generating capacity of 2,320MW.

Because the region's demand for electricity was reportedly up to 2,450MW, they had obtained about 500MW from Central Thailand and even bought energy from neighbouring Malaysia occasionally during a crisis or a period of additional demand for electricity. Many believed that the establishment of the Thepha coal-fired power plant would not only solve the region's power shortage - in which the region's demand would rise by 5 per cent a year, according to Egat - but also create energy security too.

Songkhla Chamber of Commerce president Somporn Siriponanond concurred that the energy security was an important and essential matter. Somporn added that the establishment of a Thepha coal-fired power plant would rely on community decisions, although he personally agreed with the plan, which he believed would boost the region's energy security. He said there would certainly be some impact, for which solutions should be sought.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Power-plant-to-fulfil-dream-to-be-energy-city-30265765.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-03

[maddermax]

As the world's population increases there is a greater demand for electricity. If the power station is located several kilometres offshore to deeper water, the coal carrying bulk carriers can berth with minimal inconvenience to the city. If the appropriate exhaust gas treatment equipment is fitted, the environmental impacts could be kept to a minimum. Locating it in Songkhla could be the best of the necessary bad decisions!

[Ricardo]

I wonder how the local tourist-industry, and the visiting Malaysian tourists, would react to having a nice view of the coal-fired power-plant ?

[fxe1200]

With a new coal fired plant we could rename Songkhla into Sootkhla.

[halloween]

As the world's population increases there is a greater demand for electricity. If the power station is located several kilometres offshore to deeper water, the coal carrying bulk carriers can berth with minimal inconvenience to the city. If the appropriate exhaust gas treatment equipment is fitted, the environmental impacts could be kept to a minimum. Locating it in Songkhla could be the best of the necessary bad decisions!

[halloween]

I wonder how the local tourist-industry, and the visiting Malaysian tourists, would react to having a nice view of the coal-fired power-plant ?

20km out of town and 99% would never know it was there.

[Ricardo]

I wonder how the local tourist-industry, and the visiting Malaysian tourists, would react to having a nice view of the coal-fired power-plant ?

20km out of town and 99% would never know it was there.

Thanks, I wasn't sure where it would be located, you clearly do.

But I would point out that one source of our famous local Chiang Mai pollution, during the hot-and-dry season, is the lignite-fired power-station south of Lampang, which has to be fifty or sixty miles away, as the smoke drifts.

The smoke gets trapped in the bowl of mountains surrounding our own city, and nearby (to Songkla) Hat Yai might experience a similar problem, from this smoke.

Of course they might be planning proper filters on the smoke-stack(s), to manage the pollution from the new plant, and these might even work sometimes.

[halloween]

I wonder how the local tourist-industry, and the visiting Malaysian tourists, would react to having a nice view of the coal-fired power-plant ?

20km out of town and 99% would never know it was there.

Thanks, I wasn't sure where it would be located, you clearly do.

But I would point out that one source of our famous local Chiang Mai pollution, during the hot-and-dry season, is the lignite-fired power-station south of Lampang, which has to be fifty or sixty miles away, as the smoke drifts.

The smoke gets trapped in the bowl of mountains surrounding our own city, and nearby (to Songkla) Hat Yai might experience a similar problem, from this smoke.

Of course they might be planning proper filters on the smoke-stack(s), to manage the pollution from the new plant, and these might even work sometimes.

No I don't know where it is to be located. OTOH odds are it won't be in the CBD or next to the tourist wharf.

Any comparison of a station burning lignite and anthracite is a waste of bandwidth. Take a look at the photo in the link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayswater_Power_Station

That is a 30yo 2640MW anthracite station fitted with bag filters 16km from a large town. As both cooling towers shown are dispelling heat, the stack is emitting the flue gas from 2 units. Across the road is another 2000MW station about 20 years older and fitted with electrostatic precipitators, older technology which leaves a very faint emission from the stacks. The only appreciable effect on the 2 nearest towns is the huge boost in their economies from wages.

[Stocky]

Thepha is about 40km east of Hat Yai & Songkhla, some 30km west of Pattani. It lies a couple of kilometres in from the coast near the railway line. The prevailing wind is from the north-east taking any pollution away from the main centres of population, the region is hilly, not mountainous, it doesn't face the same issues as northern Thailand.

[Time Traveller]

With a new coal fired plant we could rename Songkhla into Sootkhla.

Well, the locals must be happy that their dream is fulfilled. With every breathe of coal smoke air they can thank the government for returning happiness to them.

[Stocky]

This isn't some dirty old fashioned inefficient power station, the proposed power station is designed with modern clean coal technologies to reduce pollution and maximise efficiency.

[khunken]

Clean coal my backside. It's an oxymoron. Slightly cleaner might be closer to the truth.

Oh yes there are all the various ways the pollution can be filtered but that doesn't take into account the EGAT factor. This outfit don't give a shit about locals (refer to Krabi & Lampang) & the company wants to control the grid and use the cheapest (& dirtiest) method to produce power. No consideration of alternatives such as biomass, wind or solar (in any combination), or even oil now that it is cheap. The private users of solar are basically prevented from selling their surplus into the grid by EGAT. In a nutshell no one trusts EGAT to fulfill any promise to ensure that local people are spared from health destroying pollution. Yes, it's NIMBY & it's justified.

The 'public review session' was conducted by the Plodprasop method - bus in supporters (who may or may not have been paid), use the police to prevent opponents from attending & voila! - you have a successful meeting.

Edited August 3, 2015 by khunken

[halloween]

Clean coal my backside. It's an oxymoron. Slightly cleaner might be closer to the truth.

Oh yes there are all the various ways the pollution can be filtered but that doesn't take into account the EGAT factor. This outfit don't give a shit about locals (refer to Krabi & Lampang) & the company wants to control the grid and use the cheapest (& dirtiest) method to produce power. No consideration of alternatives such as biomass, wind or solar (in any combination), or even oil now that it is cheap. The private users of solar are basically prevented from selling their surplus into the grid by EGAT. In a nutshell no one trusts EGAT to fulfill any promise to ensure that local people are spared from health destroying pollution. Yes, it's NIMBY & it's justified.

The 'public review session' was conducted by the Plodprasop method - bus in supporters (who may or may not have been paid), use the police to prevent opponents from attending & voila! - you have a successful meeting.

Or perhaps its just efficiency and return on investment.

[Stocky]

The 'public review session' was conducted by the Plodprasop method - bus in supporters (who may or may not have been paid), use the police to prevent opponents from attending & voila! - you have a successful meeting.

But the protest has been stirred up by environmentalists and NGOs that oppose the use of fossil fuels regardless. The average Somchai in Thailand, who happily chucks his garbage in the nearest klong, hasn't a clue and doesn't care.

In order to cost effectively power growth in southern Thailand there are no realistic options outside of fossil fuels, coal is the most cost effective, and regardless of what you say, it can be done cleanly.