Community scheme spreads the wealth

Community scheme spreads the wealth

Hundreds of players set to participate

More than 200 local communities and 200 energy firms in Thailand will have a chance to take part in community-owned power projects from renewable resources, known as the Energy for All scheme, under a revision of the national power development plan (PDP).

The 20-year plan's first draft was completed on Monday and cleared a public hearing in Bangkok yesterday. The scheme is expected to attract investment of 115.98 billion baht with combined power generation of 1,933 megawatts during 2020-24.

The plan allows each power project to have an installed power capacity below 10MW.

Kulit Sombatsiri, the energy permanent secretary, said the private sector can form joint ventures with other stakeholders in the scheme.

Renewable resources eligible for the scheme include agricultural waste (biomass), wastewater (biogas) and solar.

The Energy Policy and Planning Office foresees additional benefits from shared electricity output and the renewable supply chain.

"An unfinished scheme, the Quick Win initiative, will be the first to progress under Energy for All," Mr Kulit said. "The screening procedure begins in April and May, and a shortlist of qualified investors will be completed in May and June."

Pilot power generation will total 100MW and is scheduled to commence operation in 2020. The second wave is set at 600MW and will have a screening process in 2021.

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand has two biogas projects (1MW each) in Prachuap Khiri Khan and one biomass project from corn waste (1MW) in Chiang Mai under the Quick Win initiative.

The Provincial Electricity Authority has two biomass projects (3MW each) in Pattani and Narathiwat.

The Energy for All scheme is part of plans for renewable resources to account for 30% of Thailand's power generation mix by 2037, an amount estimated at 18,700MW.

The newly revised PDP maintains the 18,700MW goal for renewables but cuts the target for solar power generated by households from 10,000MW to 9,290MW by 2037.

The PDP raises power generation under the Energy for All scheme from 363MW to 1,000MW in the same time frame.

Mr Kulit said Energy for All will increase power tariffs to 0.0077 baht per kilowatt-hour because of the higher cost of biomass.

"But the ministry projects no negative impact from the tariff hike because the cost is offset by imported electricity from Laos," he said.

"Declining prices of liquefied natural gas will offset overall power tariffs as well."

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