Thai Integrated Energy Blueprint TIEB

In 2012, the Ministry of Energy (Thailand) together with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) prepared the Thailand Power Development Plan 2012-2030 (PDP2010 Revision 3) to formulate power system development framework. The PDP2010 Revision 3 was endorsed by the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC) on June 8, 2012 and acknowledged by the Cabinet on June 19, 2012.

Since the end of year 2014, Sub-committee on Load Forecast and Power Development Plan Formulation considered developing a new PDP to respond to changes in economic and infrastructure development and ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Therefore, the Ministry of Energy (Thailand) developed 5 integration master plans as follows: (1) Thailand Power Development Plan: PDP, (2) Energy Efficiency Development Plan: EEDP, (3) Alternative Energy Development Plan: AEDP, (4) Natural Gas Supply Plan, and (5) Petroleum Management Plan. The new PDP called “Thailand Power Development Plan 2015-2036 (PDP2015)” focuses on (1) Energy Security: coping with the increasing power demand to correspond to National Economic and Social Development Plan and taking into account fuel diversification (2) Economy: maintaining an appropriate cost of power generation for long-term economic competitiveness (3) Ecology: lessening carbon dioxide intensity of power generation.

The themes of the PDP2015 emphasize on improving power system reliability by reducing dependence on natural gas power generation, increasing a share of coal power generation via clean coal technology, importing power from neighboring countries, and developing renewable energy. In addition, the plan aims on transmission and distribution system development in order to support for renewable energy development and ASEAN Economic Community.

Throughout the PDP2015 development process, useful comments and options obtained from all stakeholders were taken into account. Besides, public hearings for the draft of the PDP2015 were conducted on April 8 and 28, 2015 at Rama Garden Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. Consequently, the Thailand Power Development Plan 2015-2036 (PDP2015) was considered and commented by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on May 6, 2015. The PDP2015 was endorsed by the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC) on May 14, 2015 and acknowledged by the Cabinet on June 30, 2015.

“Energy Conservation” in this Energy Efficiency Development Plan has two meanings: (1) economical use or reduced expendable use of energy, and (2) energy efficiency improvement, i.e. doing the same activities with less energy, involving, among others, lighting, hot water production, cooling systems, transportation or running machines in the manufacturing process. Energy conservation plays an important role in strengthening energy security, alleviating household expenditure, reducing production and services costs, reducing trade deficit and increasing the competitive edge, including reduction of pollution and greenhouse gases (GHG) which cause global warming and climate change. Therefore, energy conservation has been an important policy of the government, particularly since the enforcement of the Energy Conservation Promotion Act, B.E. 2535 (1992). Five-year plans to allocate funding support from the Energy Conservation Promotion Fund for energy conservation activities have been consecutively developed, now being in Phase 3. Nevertheless, the government has foreseen that problems with energy prices, international competition for energy resources, environmental impact and climate change resulting from energy production and utilization will be exacerbated in the future, which will inevitably affect people’s well-being and the national economic competitive edge. In addition, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in 2007, government leaders ratified the collaboration in energy conservation promotion to meet the agreed target in 2030. In response to this, the Ministry of Energy has developed this 20-year Energy Efficiency Development Plan (2011-2030) to provide the national policy framework and guidelines on energy conservation implementation in the long term, with the following two main

          Ministry of Energy has developed the Thailand Integrated Energy Blueprint (TIEB) with focus on (1) Energy security, to supply energy in response to the energy demand which consistent with the rate of economic growth, the rate of population growth and the growth of urban areas, and diversified energy to the appropriate resources. (2) Economy, Taking into account the energy costs are reasonable and not an obstacle to economic and social development of the country in the long term. Reforms in fuel prices structure in line with costs and the tax burden reasonable to level up national energy utilization performance with the promotion of energy efficiency. (3) Ecology, increased domestic renewable energy production and production energy with high performance technologies to reduce the impact on environment and community.

          In the TIEB, Ministry of Energy has reviewed five energy master plans during the year 2015-2036 in consistent with the national economic and social development plan. The five master plans are: The Power Development Plan, The Energy Efficiency Development Plan, The Alternative Energy development Plan, The Oil Development Plan and The Gas Development Plan. The Alternative Energy Development Plan: AEDP2015 was developed and focused on promoting energy production within the full potential of domestic renewable energy resources. Develop appropriate renewable energy production with considered to the appropriate and benefit in social and environmental dimensions of the community.

          The AEDP’s public hearing was held in August – September 2014 in the seminar of “Thailand Energy direction” to receive comment of stake Holder from the whole country and the focus group seminar was also held in August 2015 to collect comments from renewable energy experts.

           The Ministry of Energy has set policy and National Energy Plan, call Thailand Integrated Energy Blueprint: TIEB consist of Power Development Plan: PDP, Energy Conservation Development Plan: EEDP, Alternative Energy Development Plan: AEDP, Gas Management Plan: Gas Plan and Oil plan.  Oil is consumed in very high a ratio compare to a total energy consumption each year, especially in the transport sector and because the demand for fuel is consistent and has been affected by the others implementation plans. It has to be a management plan to achieve a balance of energy efficiency and can determine the direction of energy policy with concrete.

          Oil Plan 2015 -2036 will be a long-term plan to support fuel management in line with the goal of energy conservation plan and alternative energy development plan and serve as a framework for the management of the future fuel mix which takes into account the environment and risks that may impact both directly and indirectly to the development of the country’s energy.