bangkokpost.com
Tuesday February 05, 2008
YUTHANA PRAIWAN
The Thai-developed Koh Kong power plant in Cambodia will likely begin supplying electricity earlier than scheduled because of delays facing other plants planned by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat).
According to Egat deputy governor Suttipong Teppitak, the state utility has accelerated negotiations with the operators of the 3,660-megawatt, coal-fired Koh Kong plant, a venture of Italian-Thai Development, Ratchaburi Holding and Egco Group.
''We will speed up a deal so that we can sign a power purchase-agreement a bit early,'' he said.
Egat fears that protests against its own coal-fired power plants could delay their startup and possibly create a risk of power shortages in the future.
Mr Suttipong said there was very limited time to educate the public about new clean-coal technology, but public acceptance would be essential before Egat started construction.
''We must have a reserve plan to deal with any incidents since it seems that anything could happen in our country,'' said Mr Suttipong, who oversees policy and planning.
Egat had planned to begin receiving power from Koh Kong between 2019 and 2021. Egat's local coal-fired plants, with a total 2,800 MW, were to start serving the grid in 2015-17. ''We will swap our schedules,'' he said.
Egat is in the process of site selection and preparing a public acceptance plan.
The Koh Kong talks, said Mr Suttipong, would focus on power tariffs and the high cost of a 500-kilovolt line running 500 kilometres from the west coast of Cambodia to Bangkok.
The Koh Kong operators were unavailable for comment.
An Energy Ministry source said Egat would also open talks with operators in Burma and southern China as optional power sources.
Egat recently has approached South China Grid Co about buying 1,750 MW initially. The project is due to come online in 2010 with a capacity of 10,000 MW.
Tuesday February 05, 2008
YUTHANA PRAIWAN
The Thai-developed Koh Kong power plant in Cambodia will likely begin supplying electricity earlier than scheduled because of delays facing other plants planned by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat).
According to Egat deputy governor Suttipong Teppitak, the state utility has accelerated negotiations with the operators of the 3,660-megawatt, coal-fired Koh Kong plant, a venture of Italian-Thai Development, Ratchaburi Holding and Egco Group.
''We will speed up a deal so that we can sign a power purchase-agreement a bit early,'' he said.
Egat fears that protests against its own coal-fired power plants could delay their startup and possibly create a risk of power shortages in the future.
Mr Suttipong said there was very limited time to educate the public about new clean-coal technology, but public acceptance would be essential before Egat started construction.
''We must have a reserve plan to deal with any incidents since it seems that anything could happen in our country,'' said Mr Suttipong, who oversees policy and planning.
Egat had planned to begin receiving power from Koh Kong between 2019 and 2021. Egat's local coal-fired plants, with a total 2,800 MW, were to start serving the grid in 2015-17. ''We will swap our schedules,'' he said.
Egat is in the process of site selection and preparing a public acceptance plan.
The Koh Kong talks, said Mr Suttipong, would focus on power tariffs and the high cost of a 500-kilovolt line running 500 kilometres from the west coast of Cambodia to Bangkok.
The Koh Kong operators were unavailable for comment.
An Energy Ministry source said Egat would also open talks with operators in Burma and southern China as optional power sources.
Egat recently has approached South China Grid Co about buying 1,750 MW initially. The project is due to come online in 2010 with a capacity of 10,000 MW.
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