EGAT prepared to fire on diesel and bunker oil to overcome Yadana gas field shutdown

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand are prepared to run all power plants fuelled by natural gas from Myanmar, with diesel and bunker oil to overcome shortage from Yadana gas field shutdown

In a statement released today, the agency however warned that the more pressing issue is on the depleting gas supply from the Gulf of Thailand in the next decade. As the country would then need to run power plants with imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) which is twice more expensive than natural gas, EGAT pushes for the approval for new coal-fired power plants to keep electricity cost at the minimum.

Myanmar will shut down the Yadana gas filed during April 4-12, cutting off the daily supply of 1,030 million cubic feet per day, when power demand in Thailand is expected to peak. The shutdown will affect the operations of all six power plants in the west of Thailand. Three of them are operated by Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Plc, Ratchaburi Power Co and Tri Energy Co. The rest belong to EGAT. Their combined capacity is 6,000 megawatt.

Egat spokesman Pongdit Potejana said in the release that during April 4-12, Thailand’s power consumption is expected to hit 26,500MW.

“We have prepared 8 measures to ensure no power shortage,” he said.

Top of the measures is to use 130 million litres of bunker oil and 75 million litres of diesel to run the power plants during the period. It will also buy more power from small power producers and buy more power from hydropower plants in Laos.