Power plant approval branded unjust

[rooster59]

Power plant approval branded unjust

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE SUNDAY NATION

 

 

AN ACADEMIC claims that the Environmental and Health Impact Assessment’s (EHIA) approval for the Thepa coal-fired power plant was unjust, because local people did not have a chance to present to the expert committee before a final decision was made, and because the report was inconclusive.

 

The project owner, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), says the approval was a big relief because it will be able to solve the power shortage in the South caused by the long delay in establishing the Krabi coal-fired power plant. 

 

An expert committee of the Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning Office last Thursday approved EHIA’s support for the 2,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Songkhla’s Thepa District.

 

But Somporn Chuai-Aree, a science and technology lecturer at Songkla University said the EHIA was flawed and should have been rejected.

 

He also claimed the expert committee should be reformed, as its approval of the EHIA report was unjust.

 

“First of all, the whole project of the Thepa coal-fired power plant has been split in two – the coal-fired power plant and the coal transporting pier – but it should have been studied as one big project. This separation makes it harder for people to see the bigger picture regarding the environmental impact of the project,” he said.

 

Somporn also claimed the original report had been inconclusive. For example, the report did not fully outline the biodiversity of the surrounding sea and canals, he said, and it also inaccurately detailed the types of marine animals in the area.

 

“This does not include the fact that the EHIA allowed just nine months for all three public hearings,” he said, “which clearly signifies the lack of proper public participation.

 

“The committee should reconsider its decision, as local people who opposed the project did not have the chance to meet until they had already been informed of the decision. I cannot find any other word than unjust to describe this.”

 

The project still needs to be considered by the National Environment Committee and Cabinet before construction can start.

 

Egat governor Kornrasit Pakchotanon said that as the project owner, he was pleased that the project’s EHIA was approved and now Egat will prepare for the construction and start a bidding to find the constructor.

 

“It is a fact that the South is very prone to power shortages, because the Krabi coal-fired power plant has been delayed and we have also had a problem of constructing another power line to the South. Therefore, the progress on the Thepa coal-fired power plant is a good sign for us to assure a stable power supply to the South,” Kornrasit said.

 

The precise timeline for the power plant could not be finalised yet, he admitted, since the Energy Ministry was still updating its new Power Development Plan (PDP) for the future power needs of the country. 

 

Meanwhile, Kornrasit also said Egat was still seeking a power company to undertake a new EHIA study in relation to the project, but it was expected that the first public hearing could be held as early as November.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30324329

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-20

[Ricardo]

Isn't there offshore-gas in the Gulf of Siam nearby Songkhla ? 

 

So why build a coal-fired power-station down there, rather than a less-polluting gas-fired one, using gas from Thailand's own resources, and avoiding the need for the coal-delivery pier completely ?

 

I thought gas-fired electicity-generating capacity was quicker to build, and cheaper too, which is why many countries have been moving away from coal-fired power-stations ?

 

 

[JAG]

Isn't there offshore-gas in the Gulf of Siam nearby Songkhla ? 
 
So why build a coal-fired power-station down there, rather than a less-polluting gas-fired one, using gas from Thailand's own resources, and avoiding the need for the coal-delivery pier completely ?
 
I thought gas-fired electicity-generating capacity was quicker to build, and cheaper too, which is why many countries have been moving away from coal-fired power-stations ?
 
 

Perhaps one should examine who owns :1, the land the coal delivery pier will be built on, 2, the coal transport undertaking, 3, the business supplying the coal?
You never know, that may answer some questions...

[Thian]

1 hour ago, Ricardo said:

Isn't there offshore-gas in the Gulf of Siam nearby Songkhla ? 

 

So why build a coal-fired power-station down there, rather than a less-polluting gas-fired one, using gas from Thailand's own resources, and avoiding the need for the coal-delivery pier completely ?

 

I thought gas-fired electicity-generating capacity was quicker to build, and cheaper too, which is why many countries have been moving away from coal-fired power-stations ?

 

 

Coal fired powerstations pollute the air much more....that's why.

[Ricardo]

20 minutes ago, Thian said:

Coal fired powerstations pollute the air much more....that's why.

erm  ...  that's what I said too !

 

" rather than a less-polluting gas-fired one "  from my post !

[YetAnother]

so did Somporn refrain from saying the EHIA report was manipulated by {someone} due to possible defamation ?

[pattayadgw]

I ask the question: WHY are the authorities hell bent on a 'coal fired' power station?? why not run with gas????

[halloween]

21 minutes ago, pattayadgw said:

I ask the question: WHY are the authorities hell bent on a 'coal fired' power station?? why not run with gas????

Because gas usage already exceeds production, and has done since 2000.

[Ricardo]

But doesn't a lot of gas burned in Thailand actually come from Burma, hence the brown-outs every April, when the pipelines & production-platforms are closed for maintenance ?

 

Perhaps production/consumption of gas from offshore of Songkhla might be more relevant than total national figures ?

 

Looking on Wiki, the project certainly appears to have been rammed-through against major local objections.

 

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Thepha_power_station

[VocalNeal]

Say no to power stations, say yes to electric cars! 

[halloween]

14 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

But doesn't a lot of gas burned in Thailand actually come from Burma, hence the brown-outs every April, when the pipelines & production-platforms are closed for maintenance ?

 

Perhaps production/consumption of gas from offshore of Songkhla might be more relevant than total national figures ?

 

Looking on Wiki, the project certainly appears to have been rammed-through against major local objections.

 

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Thepha_power_station

It doesn't matter which numbers you look at, gas would still have to be imported. If you used Song Kla gas there, you would have to import elsewhere. Thailand already imports ~19 million tonnes of black coal, 6 million is used in power stations along with 18 million tonnes of brown coal.

 

Yes the locals have been fed enough rubbish to have them worried. Some of the BS these "green" groups spout is outrageous, anything goes to advance their agenda.

[khunken]

59 minutes ago, halloween said:

It doesn't matter which numbers you look at, gas would still have to be imported. If you used Song Kla gas there, you would have to import elsewhere. Thailand already imports ~19 million tonnes of black coal, 6 million is used in power stations along with 18 million tonnes of brown coal.

 

Yes the locals have been fed enough rubbish to have them worried. Some of the BS these "green" groups spout is outrageous, anything goes to advance their agenda.

Not only green groups but locals in Krabi & Lampang know all about the pollution from coal-fired power stations. Oh, I know the Songkla station is supposed to be fired by 'clean coal',  an oxymoron.

Yes the gas - if used- would have to be imported and so would the coal and coal has even more pollution attached to it from unloading it from a ship to delivery to the power station (& we know how EGAT's 'clean' promises are worth).

The rubbish is one of the sources that should be considered as a more environmently-friendly alternative. Coal is the worst possible choice

[halloween]

19 minutes ago, khunken said:

Not only green groups but locals in Krabi & Lampang know all about the pollution from coal-fired power stations. Oh, I know the Songkla station is supposed to be fired by 'clean coal',  an oxymoron.

Yes the gas - if used- would have to be imported and so would the coal and coal has even more pollution attached to it from unloading it from a ship to delivery to the power station (& we know how EGAT's 'clean' promises are worth).

The rubbish is one of the sources that should be considered as a more environmently-friendly alternative. Coal is the worst possible choice

In purely engineering terms, black coal is the cheapest fuel to generate electricity. There will always be an environmental cost (and I'm not talking CO2) but the cost has been highly exaggerated, especially about coal unloading.

We in the south use a lot of electricity, much of it generated elsewhere, as we found out when the transmission cables failed on overload. The same people who moan about coal still want their cheap electricity, just not generated in their backyard. Of course, the people who makes these decisions are all economic and engineering illiterates, we would be much better of trusting villagers fed BS by those with their own agenda.

[taipan1949]

On 8/20/2017 at 7:59 AM, Ricardo said:

Isn't there offshore-gas in the Gulf of Siam nearby Songkhla ? 

 

So why build a coal-fired power-station down there, rather than a less-polluting gas-fired one, using gas from Thailand's own resources, and avoiding the need for the coal-delivery pier completely ?

 

I thought gas-fired electicity-generating capacity was quicker to build, and cheaper too, which is why many countries have been moving away from coal-fired power-stations ?

 

 

Think kickback. I believe that almost all of the power plants in Thailand have been built by Black and Veach and once you have been in bed with the same woman for many years you know from the start how much it is going to cost you.

[VocalNeal]

12 hours ago, khunken said:

and coal has even more pollution attached to it from unloading it from a ship to delivery to the power station

How can this be termed pollution. Coal is a natural substance so what if a little bit falls on the ground. That is where it came from. 

 

A bit messy in a small area but not pollution.

 

13 hours ago, halloween said:

Some of the BS these "green" groups spout is outrageous, anything goes to advance their agenda.

 

[halloween]

Much has been made about damage to the environment, but nobody mentioned this for obvious reasons.

http://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/illegal-fishers-in-hot-water