The government has come up with the idea of producing electricity from the same grass that elephants eat as part of its commitment to increase use of renewable energy.
Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said the first production of electricity from grass-based biogas will begin by 2015, with 7,000 megawatts generated within a decade.
"Cultivation is similar to growing sugar cane in the ground. It grows very fast and gives out a lot of gas," he said.
Mr Pongsak gave his comments at a green energy forum yesterday co-hosted by the Energy Ministry and PTT Plc.
It takes 45 days for the newly planted grass to be harvested for biogas.
The grass can fetch up to 300 baht a tonne, higher than the price of tapioca and helping to boost farmers' incomes, said Mr Pongsak.
It would take a total of 100 million baht to grow enough of the type of grass needed on 1,000 rai of land to yield 1 MW of electricity.
Mr Pongsak said the government has begun a pilot project in Chiang Mai province, while some private operators have started growing the grass in Nakhon Ratchasima.
The project aims to foster community and private sector participation.
Mr Pongsak said the government will have a clear plan and criteria by February in terms of private sector participation.
"If the tambon administrations can be persuaded to get involved, then they'll generate some income for themselves. This will eventually drive the use of renewable energy more quickly nationwide," he said.
This type of grass can be planted in poor-quality soil, while suitable amounts of sunlight and water needed for it to flourish can best be found in the northeastern and central regions.
Mr Pongsak said a tariff of 4.50 baht per MW-hour will likely apply for 25 years for this type of biogas, although the energy regulator will determine the final price.
"But this is not expensive since conventional fuels such as natural gas and coal are growing more expensive and their current tariff of 3.20 baht will increase to about 4.50 baht as well," he said.
Only 1% of Thailand's electricity generation now comes from renewable sources compared with 65% from natural gas, 20% from coal and 5% from water. Over the past year, electricity use has grown by 8.95%, reaching a new peak seven times.
If consumption continues to rise at this pace, then the present system's reliability will take a hit, said Mr Pongsak.
He said the price of conventional fuels used in electricity generation will not grow cheaper, given the finite nature of the resources and the geopolitical situation in oil-producing countries.
And rising fuel prices affect the stability of the energy supply, so using more green energy is imperative, Mr Pongsak added.