Energy Minister: Coal should be used in electricity production in Thailand

BANGKOK, May 26 (TNA) - Energy Minister Arak Chonlatanon said Saturday coal in reserves is sufficient for people in the world for the next two centuries and is also clean due to technology advancement and should be used in the production of electricity in Thailand. Speaking during the weekly radio broadcast of the prime minister, Arak said the government has assigned Chulalongkorn University’s Energy Research Institute to conduct a study on the entire energy structure and the conclusion is expected to be made the next two months. Up to 70 per cent of natural gas for vehicles (NGV) is now used in electricity production in the country, he said, adding that in order to control costs in future either coal or nuclear should be used. But the use of nuclear is protested heavily by people following explosions in Japanese nuclear power plants in Fukushima early last year. Arak said a series of study found that coal is now tested clean due to advancement of technology and its global reserves are enough for another two centuries, therefore, a study should be made whether it used be used in electricity production in Thailand. Touching on local retail prices of oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), he said their prices must stand at the appropriate levels and not cheap like before, especially when ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is implemented in 2015. He reiterated that retail prices of LPG for used in the industrial and transportation sectors must be increased while its price for the household sector would remain intact to prevent householders from being further affected by rising living costs. The government will continue promoting the use of both 91 and 95 gasohol in the country, he said. The private will be encouraged to produce ethanol although production costs are high in order to lower oil imports. On government’s Oil Fund, he said its debts soared to 90 billion baht earlier but falls to 22 billion baht now after the government has changed the system of money collection. (TNA)