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Energy policy opening to the public
Every month the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) receives about 50 petitions from individuals and citizens' groups who feel that the Commission is one of only a few avenues available to them to address injustices. Many of the petitions target the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) and affiliated agencies involved in power generation.The trend is not surprising given the number of controversial energy mega projects that have been implemented. If the situation remained unchanged, the state-owned enterprise will be busy defending itself before the NHRC and solving the related problems.
With all the fall-out over power plants using conventional fossil fuel energy sources, government officers in charge of energy policies could benefit from exploring the possibilities of alternative energy sources such as biogas, biomass, small scale hydro-power, solar cell and wind power. According to studies made by the Research and Development Programme on Public Health Policy and Health Impact Assessment, Health System Research Institute (PHP_HSR) there is a huge potential for such technologies in Thailand. They calculated that it would be quite feasible to produce in the near future around 7,000 MWs from biomass, 5,000 MWs from solar cells and more than 900 MWs from biogas. These alternative sources would release a minimum of greenhouse gases. For example, biogas emits only about 20 grammes of greenhouse gases per unit compared to 1,008, 796, 650 and 471 grammes per unit respectively from lignite, coal, diesel, and gas.
In the past the national Power Development Plan (PDP) has been in the hands of only a few officials, but not anymore. Since the PDP has such a tremendous effect on the economic, environmental and social climate in the country, more and more people are exercising their constitutional right to get involved and help form the national PDP, and are proposing innovative ways to find energy and serve the people's needs.
A PDP using alternative energy sources was drawn up by the PHP_HSR. It made a comparison of the alternative PDP with the PDP using gas as the major fuel and the PDP using coal as the major fuel, and calculated that the alternative PDP can save 35.722 billion baht yearly in the construction costs for new power generation plants, making it about 5.6 percent less expensive to implement than the PDP which relies on conventional fuels. It would also save 66.394 billion baht in fuel costs, a 21.51 percent reduction (see graphic). It reduces the total value amount of fuel imported into the country by about 292.388 billion baht, or 12.63 percent. Another major benefit to using the alternative plan would be to decentralise power generation.
If the alternative plan were materialised, said Decharat Sukkamnoed, an economist at Kasetsat University, it could reduce the need for at least 20 mega power plant projects, which would result in a reduction of conflicts in Thai society, and perhaps most importantly, lead to sustainable energy production in the country.
Decharat said that the government has not totally ignored the alternatives but just does not concentrate enough on them. There are a number of industrial projects being subsidised by many concerned state agencies to find alternative energies to supply to Thai society. They have also begun implementation of Demand-Side Manament (DSM), an energy conservation programme, as well as public education on energy saving.
The Energy Policy and Planning Office is determined to raise renewable energy consumption to a more meaningful level within the next decade. A target has been set to increase the share of renewable energy from 0.5 percent in 2002 to 8 percent by the year 2011.
Dr Lae Dilokvidhyarat, who is on the Egat Board of Directors, said that it is the policy of Egat to support alternative energy. However, he admitted that the state-run enterprise hasn't done enough.
"We are looking forward to pushing for more alternative energy," he added.
Mr Panas Kunarat, director of Egat's Wind and Solar Energy Power division, said that his division is waiting on the new government.
"We will wait for the new government to stipulate the policy on renewable energy. If they tell us they need 100 MWs of solar energy or so, we can propose a budget and go with it."
GETTING POWER OUT OF WASTE
The Biogas Technology Centre (BTC), affiliated with Chiang Mai University, has been conducting research on getting useful energy out of organic waste. There is a huge energy potential in agricultural residues, manure, solid waste and wastewater. The research centre has had success in converting many waste materials into biogas. The process has the enormous benefits of energy production and waste disposal, as well as being a climate change mitigation measure, which results in the possibility of earned carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol scheme.
Many people who initially engage in biogas operations join for other reasons, but realise the alternative energy benefits later. Veterinarian Charin Kajornchaikroon of Than Kaseam Farm in Saraburi province said they were mainly interested in finding a way to dispose of the huge amount of manure generated by the thousands of pigs on the farm.
"Honestly, I have to say that many of our neighbours filed complaints that our farm polluted their waterways and over the tremendous stink, which attracted flies. We feed a lot of pigs on our farm and certainly they produce large amounts of waste. We thought it was inevitable. When we learned about BTC, we were really willing to join the project," said Charin.
The farm invested about 12 million baht in its biogas system, which it will eventually recover within ten years. The biogas technology on the farm which turns pig excrement into biogas was installed with the support of the National Energy Policy Office. The biogas produced has helped the farm reduce its monthly electricity bill from 200,000 baht to 100,000 baht. Moreover, it can also use the treated water from the biogas process for its sweet corn and sunflower fields. The farm also gets income from selling dry pig manure as fertiliser.
"The use of biogas not only offers economic benefits through energy conservation, it also improves the environment on the farm and in the village," added Charin.
Biogas can come from a great many different sources. Fermented rice straw has been the focus of many new research projects. Some companies have already designed and installed anaerobic biodigesters to convert organic-rich wastewater from cassava processing plants into methane.
For instance, The Sanguanwong Cassava processing factory in Nakhon Ratchasima has been using 3,000 cubic metres a day of its so-called wastewater to generate more than 2.8 MW of electricity for use in its own processing factory.
The project offers other attractive benefits, such as reducing the amount of fuel oil used and lowering electricity costs by over two million baht a month. Moreover, it has also reduced environmental impacts of the plant in the area. The smell and the water quality have both improved.
"In the past we faced some environmental problems, such as dying fish in the village's waterways," said Montree Jingsantia, environmental chief officer of Sangonwong company. Because of this the company purchased more than 600 rai of land just for its water treatment system. Now the demands on the system are much less. Based on the current wastewater flow, the biogas process has a maximum capacity to produce at least 6.1 MWs. The dry sludge which remains can be used as fertiliser on the cassava plantations.
Many food processing operators have found out that they can get value from their by-products. The Mitr Karasin Sugar Company in Kalasin produces white sugar and has a lot of bagasse originating from its sugar refining process. The company has installed a bio-energy cogeneration system which uses the bagasse as the primary source of biomass to provide electricity and steam to the plant and generate surplus electricity for the power grid during the milling operations, as well as generate power to be used inside the refinery plant.
At present, Mitr Karasin company generates enough electricity for its own use, which is about 12 MWs per month during milling operations and about five MWs in off-milling months. It has also sold a surplus of around eight MWs per month to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) since the year 2000. The power generated in the mill can supply many small districts in Kalasin province. For example it covers 100 percent of electricity demand in Khao Wong district and provides a secure electricity supply in the area.
Other biomass materials can also be used in the cogeneration system. Jarueg Kreetree, production manager of Mitr Karasin Company, said, "We used to use rice husk and straw, but now not so many farmers sell those as the price has gotten higher."
OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL PROVIDERS
Biomass conversion to energy has a particularly high potential in an agricultural country like Thailand, and there is a great opportunity for small power producer (SPP) companies to thrive. Take the Mitrphol Group as an example. From its plants in Suphan Buri and Chaiyaphum provinces the group can generate more than 25 and 29 MWs of electricity, respectively, for supplying to Egat.
But the road of SPP operators is not as smooth as it should be. Some SPPs are charged by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) when they deliver more power than they are supposed to in their particular areas. The PEA has never paid the SPPs extra, however, for its support of the power grid or for reducing the risk of "brownouts".
"SPP operators need supportive measures rather than these discouraging rules. Egat should also reduce the complexity of the SPP application process so that more small producers can join in producing energy to support their communities and sell the surplus to Egat, which will result in reducing fossil fuel imports and environmental impacts," said Suphakij Nuntavorakarn of PHP_HSR
In one subdistrict in Surin province, conserving energy and implementing alternate technologies has become a community project.
"We cannot live without energy but we can manage and use it wisely," said Supaporn Thongchan, a local leader in Surin province. Residents of Ulook subdistrict in Surin conducted a study of 1,041 households and found out that in a year they spent about 14 million baht for energy for their home consumption and agricultural production.
After the study they started discussions in which many suggested that they need to find alternative means to provide energy for their daily activities. They began with standard conservation efforts to using electricity effectively, then developed their own potential to realise energy-saving advances and develop alternative energy sources.
Many locals in Surin are very skilful in making earthware in their own stoves. In their efforts to find new ways to save energy they went on tours to study how they could make a high efficiency cooking stove. They chose a model from the Appropriate Technology Association, located in Nakhon Ratchasima province. They also make their own high efficiency charcoal-making kiln which can produce high heat from small pieces of wood. This kiln is different from conventional kilns because it uses less time in burning but burns at a higher temperature.
Many locals in Surin are also able to produce biodiesel from the coconuts which they grow on their farms and many groups have constructed small biogas systems in their villages, using leftovers and waste materials.
"We have planned our community energy use and production. We don't only want to rely on the government to provide us energy. We want to take part in reducing the government burdens in finding energy for us," said Supaporn, adding that there are many alternative energy sources available but they need further support from the government for research and studies on their effective use.
Thai Net Metering Project is a project of Palang Thai. Please direct energy questions to info@netmeter.org, and website comments to webmaster@netmeter.org.
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