Egat prepares for sharp hike in Thailand’s summer power consumption
10 March 2019
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has estimated that power consumption during late April and early May would peak at 29,000 megawatts (MW), which is two per cent more than the same period last year.
The agency has arranged measures to ensure a steady and balanced electricity supply amid the persistent summer heat.
Egat deputy governor Rerngchai Kongthong said the demand in Bangkok and the five provinces in its vicinity would be as high as 10,500MW during the period.
All Egat power plants – as well as its network of privately-run IPP (Independent Power Producer) and SPP (Small Power Producer) plants – were told to do maintenance work only if necessary and to refrain from implementing any unnecessary changes during the summer (March-May), he said.
This summer, the backup/reserve power-generating system’s capacity was at 30 per cent, which is sufficient to cope with emergencies, he said. “Everyone can be confident that Egat will take care of power-generation and supplying systems to meet the demands,” he said, while urging everyone to help save energy by reducing unnecessary power usage.
Thailand’s official summer season began on February 21 and it was predicted that the mercury would peak at around 42-43 degrees Celsius in Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Tak, Nakhon Sawan and Kanchanaburi provinces while the South and Bangkok could touch up to 39 degrees Celsius. When the weather is hot people tend to stay indoors and crank up their air-conditioners and other cooling devices – contributing to the hike in power consumption.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365526
