The Energy Ministry expects to conclude the business model and details of the Energy for All scheme for community-owned power projects by mid-November.
Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said some pilot projects under the scheme will begin development and operation over the next couple of years.
Power generation for Energy for All will come from a variety of renewable resources -- agricultural waste, waste water, animal dung and farm products -- to be fed into community-owned power projects.
Solid waste is excluded because the licence-granting process is handled by the Interior Ministry.
The Energy Ministry has assigned the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) to design the Energy for All scheme.
"I urged the department to accelerate and conclude this scheme," said Mr Sontirat during his visit to the DEDE yesterday.
"The first resource -- giant napier grass -- will begin as a project under the scheme in early 2020 after the government suspended similar power projects in 2013."
The ministry is also open to new investment in community-owned power projects, he said.
On Oct 10, the ministry held the first public hearing for the scheme to gather opinions from roughly 200 stakeholders such as state agencies, state utilities, power companies, banks and non-governmental organisations. The ministry plans to dust off 50 unfinished power projects from the 2013 Quick Win initiative to be promoted under Energy for All.
The Quick Win initiative was launched during 2012-13 for renewable power projects from fast-growing plants such as giant napier grass, acacia and bamboo, or new species of plants that can be used as biomass and biogas fuels. The unfinished projects were granted licences to develop and operate power projects.
Mr Sontirat said Energy for All is expected to be a key engine to drive the economy, particularly for agricultural waste that can be used for power generation.
The scheme aims to increase household incomes by allowing farmers to sell waste to power projects.
"Before the ministry concludes the business model and investment conditions, it will consult energy stakeholders again to ensure a sustainable business in the long run," he said.
The tentative plan is to encourage local communities' investment and ownership of self-powered generation in remote areas.
There will be three investors in each project -- the government, private firms and communities.
Yongyut Jantararotai, DEDE's director-general, said the Energy for All scheme aims to develop a combined power capacity of 500 megawatts over the next couple of years.
Some 100MW of the total is expected from biomass and the remaining 400MW from biogas.
Chuwit Jungtanasomboon, chief executive of North East Rubber Plc, said the company applied for the Quick Win initiative in 2013 with a budget of 500 million baht.
The company planned to construct two power projects from napier grass in Buri Ram with power generation of 2MW each.
He said the company developed two biogas power projects in 2013 that were delayed for several years. Both projects are completed and are scheduled to operate in November and December.
"The two power plants will apply for the Energy for All scheme as the company has agreements with local napier grass growers on 400 rai and owns a 1,200-rai plantation in Buri Ram to feed grass and animal dung to the biogas power projects," said Mr Chuwit.
He said the unfinished scheme did not have a significant impact on the company's operation because it applied for only a 200-million-baht loan.
"The unfinished power projects should be carried out by the ministry," said Mr Chuwit.