New energy plan to save Thailand over THB500bil in energy costs over 15 years

BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network):Thailand’s revised Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP) will help save the country 532.46 billion baht in energy costs by 2037, the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department (AEDED) said.

Prasert Sinsukprasert, AEDED director-general, said on Tuesday (Dec 13) that the 2022 EEP, which will replace the 2018 plan and be in force until 2037, will boost energy conservation from 30% in 2018 to 36% over the next 15 years. He said the plan is to reduce the use of energy in the next 15 years by 49,064 kilotonnes of oil equivalent (ktoe), which will save the country 532.455 billion baht.

The 2022 EEP is among the five national energy plans that aim to push Thailand toward carbon neutrality within 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065.

Prasert said the 2022 plan is still being drafted and should be ready by next year before it is submitted to the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) for endorsement and the Cabinet for approval. The plan should be implemented by mid-next year, he added.

He went on to say that the new plan will reduce energy intensity (EI) by 40% within 2050, conserving energy by 64,340ktoe.

The plan will be enforced in the form of 14 measures under three strategies covering five target groups, namely industries, buildings, households, agriculture and transport, he said.

Measures aimed at industry, for instance, would control energy consumption at factories, he said. For example, he said, a 2,000-square-metre factory will be required to meet standards in heat insulation, lighting, air-conditioning, hot-water system and alternative energy.

This measure would also include the enforcement of an energy code for factories, commercial buildings, households, and farming as well as measures for conserving energy in the transport sector.

The EEP plan will also promote the use of power-saving labels on four types of machinery including agricultural and construction equipment and household appliances. He said the EEP will also promote energy-saving innovations like smart home systems and smart farming.

In 2021, Thailand consumed 71,998ktoe in energy.