Renewable power is projected to overtake electricity produced by fossil-fuel power plants over the next 20 years, with the former's proportion set to increase to 51% of total electricity supply in Thailand under the new version of the power development plan (PDP), says the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).
This new target, rising from a goal of 36% set in the 2018 PDP, aims to support government efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to combat global warming.
Authorities have nearly finished drafting the 2024 PDP, which will replace the 2018 version, said Veerapat Kiatfuengfoo, director-general of the Eppo.
A public hearing is scheduled from June 12-19 to gather people's views on the new PDP, he said.
The 2024 PDP, scheduled to be enforced from this year to 2037, is part of the national energy plan (NEP), the country's blueprint for energy management.
The NEP comprises the alternative energy development plan, the energy efficiency plan, the oil plan and the gas plan.
Under the new PDP, solar power will be a key renewable power, with electricity generation capacity of 20,000 megawatts.
Energy officials will import 16,000MW of clean energy from neighbouring countries, especially from hydropower plants, to increase renewably power supply, said Mr Veerapat.
In addition, the loss of load expectation (LOLE) method will be used to better manage the power supply, he said. The LOLE estimates how many hours of electricity supply cannot meet actual demand in a year.
Using more clean energy is worthwhile, but it raises concerns over intermittent output from the sun and wind, which are determined by weather patterns.
The LOLE method is suitable for higher use of renewable resources such as solar and wind to generate electricity as their power supply is monitored hourly, according to the Eppo.
To increase renewable power to a 51% share, the 2024 PDP reduces gas usage to 40%, down from 55%. The remaining cuts come from other fuels, such as coal.
Mr Veerapat said the plan includes a fresh effort to develop a small modulation reactor to generate 600MW of electricity from nuclear energy, as well as promoting hydrogen to replace gas usage.
Authorities have yet to decide whether green or blue hydrogen will be used, he said.
