The Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) is drafting a new National Energy Plan (NEP) and will be holding public hearings in the third quarter of 2024. The plan will then be submitted to the National Energy Policy Committee (NEPC) for consideration [1] before being sent to the Cabinet for approval by September [2].
The NEP consists of five plans: (1) Power Development Plan (PDP), (2) Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), (3) Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP), (4) Natural Gas Management Plan (Gas Plan) and (5) Oil Management Plan (Oil Plan). [1]
The new PDP will focus on three key areas, namely System security, Affordability and Environment. The power generation structure will be adjusted to include around 50% renewable energy by 2047 [2], with natural gas accounting for 30-40%. Importantly, the plan will aim to keep the average electricity tariff throughout the 20-year plan at around the current rate of 4 baht per unit. [1]
Solar power will be the largest source of renewable energy, followed by wind, hydro, and biomass. The plan will also include carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. In addition, the latest PDP will add another 5% of alternative energy, such as hydrogen, which is currently being studied for cost-effectiveness and nuclear power, which was absent from the 2018 PDP, is also back in the form of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with a capacity of around 70 megawatts. The plan also includes a community power plant target. [2]
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