Search the Community

IT MADE for interesting pictures, but for Japanese carmakers it was a catastrophe. When floodwaters in late 2011 inundated parts of Bangkok and several of Thailand’s main industrial areas, the firm’s manufacturing plants were among those that suffered most. Detroit of the East

More...

Bangkok pursues low-carbon strategy * Published: 28/01/2010 at 12:00 AM * Newspaper section: Business One million people in Bangkok are expected to feel the catastrophic impacts of climate change by 2050, prompting concerned government agencies to introduce measures to cope, says the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). The temperature increase is forecast to be 1.9 degrees Celsius in 2020 compared with today, with a 3% increase in precipitation and a 29-centimetre (That's a 11.42 inches) rise in sea level. Add Bangkok sinking 4" a year) Flooded areas will expand by 25% or 200 square kilometres, state planning agency officials told a seminar on pursuing a low-carbon society, held yesterday by the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Office. Current patterns of energy consumption pose mitigation challenges, said Thanin Pa-Em, senior adviser in policy and planning at the NESDB. Thailand aspires to take the regional lead in moving toward a low-carbon economy. According to Mr Thanin, diversification of power production is required for Thailand to avoid reliance on coal and gas and reduce imports of petroleum products for power generation. Relieving the severe traffic congestion and reducing air pollution in Bangkok are also recommended. (Free bicycles for all) To achieve these targets, creating urban jobs with better and more affordable transport services for low-income households is critical. The action plan on global warming mitigation attempts to reduce Bangkok's emissions by 15% or 6.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2012, he said. In addition, the 15-year plan for renewable energy development aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 20% by 2012 from 5.8% in 2008, cutting CO2 emissions by 42 million tonnes per annum. Thailand has voluntarily reduced greenhouse gas emissions through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). So far, 30 CDM projects from Thailand have been registered with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with estimated emissions reduction of about 2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, according to the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation. At present, Thailand ranks tenth in the world in CDM projects registered with the UNFCCC, lower than Malaysia (fifth), the Philippines (sixth) and Indonesia (ninth). China is first with 715 CDM projects followed by India's 477. According to Emergent Ventures International (EVI), an Indian consultancy specialising in global warming, the renewable energy market in Asia-Pacific is very attractive because power supply shortages are likely and marginal cost may remain at the high level of 20 cents per kilowatt-hour. Technological progress will continue to bring down costs. For example, the cost of electricity from solar power has fallen 6-7% annually for the past 15 years while wind-powered electricity cost has fallen 80% over the past two decades, said Jatin Kapoor, who is in charge of EVI operations in Southeast Asia. Citing McKinsey research, Mr Kapoor said overall savings from reducing energy use will be $900 billion by 2020. Annual investments of US$170 billion from now to 2020 may halve global energy demand. About the author columnist Writer: Nareerat Wiriyapong Position: Business Reporter Good news for Thai solar industry 28/1/2010 Plans to build one of the world's largest ever photovoltaic (PV) solar farms near Bangkok (Thailand) has boosted the Thai government's efforts to accelerate the development of a national PV market. The plant, to be built at Lop Buri by a Japanese-Chinese-Thai consortium, will have a capacity of over 70 MW. Completion is forecast for 2011, subject to approval of an environmental impact assessment and normal construction permits. The PV growth in Thailand has also received a further push after first-phase approval has been given for a cumulative total of 1 GW of PV facilities. 2 years ago the goal was 50MW solar, must have been reading my journals, he he This first-phase approval means authorisation to receive the guaranteed feed-in tariff, and is separate from building and construction permits, but is critical to financial viability of many projects. As if to anticipate the flood of permit applications that will follow, the Thai government has indicated that five separate application processes for building permits needed for PV installations are to be merged under a single umbrella. All this news is being used as a backdrop to SolarBusiness Bangkok 2010, Thailand's first ever national conference on developing the PV market, to be held on 22 and 23 March in Bangkok. The 2009 national Renewable Energy Plan for Thailand gives solar energy the highest national potential among all renewable energy sources, and the March conference is a key milestone in the drive to accelerate action in business. Apart from providing a full overview of technology and cost trends to national players, the agenda includes discussions about government guarantees of feed-in tariffs, financing mechanisms, and performance and testing standards. The conference is supported by the Thai Ministry of Energy and leading private-sector players in Thailand and abroad. For additional information: http://www.solarbangkok2010.com/ :arrow: