A new version of the national energy plan is expected to set a path for Thailand to become a low-carbon society, coming into effect in the first quarter next year, says the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).
The current 20-year plan, which includes efforts to manage use of oil, gas and clean energy as well as enhance energy-saving, has been in place since 2018 and is being revised in line with changing domestic and global circumstances.
Thailand committed to cutting greenhouse gases under carbon neutrality and net-zero campaigns it announced during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last year. The revised plan will focus more on clean energy promotion, Eppo director-general Wattanapong Kurovat said at a seminar.
The country aims to strike a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and absorption by 2050 and a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and absorption within 2065.
Greenhouse gases emitted by Thailand stand at 350 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per day. The amount is expected to peak in 2025, causing the country to step up efforts to implement new energy management plans.
Under the national plan, the proportion of clean energy used to generate electricity is set at 30% in 2030 and will increase to 50% in 2040.
Authorities want to increase power generation capacity from solar energy to 10 gigawatts in 2030, up from 3GW at present. They want to further increase the capacity to 25GW in 2050.
The revised plan also aims to promote more efficient energy use, with a goal to cut energy consumption by 30% in 2030 and 40% in 2050.
Higher usage of electric vehicles (EVs) should also support efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to the office.
Last March the National EV Policy Committee announced it wanted EVs to constitute 50% of locally made vehicles by 2030, part of an ambitious plan to make Thailand a regional EV production centre. Authorities want to gradually phase out oil-powered cars by 2050.