State targets 30% renewable power by 2030

Energy Ministry plans solar PV auction round

The Energy Ministry has announced plans to double installed power capacity of renewable energy to 30% by 2030.

Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphan said renewable power capacity now stands at 14.5% of the total or 20,000 megawatts, up from 9.6% in 2014, thanks to government promotions targeted at private investors.

During a meeting at the UN in New York, the government committed to spearheading clean energy consumption and production, together with other developing countries that are shifting their power sectors to biofuel, Mr Siri told the media last week.

The new renewable energy goal represents a six-year acceleration from the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), which aimed for renewable energy to contribute 30% by 2036.

Policymakers are revising the long-term Power Development Plan, including the AEDP, based on domestic economic conditions and the declining development cost of renewable power facilities.

Before the new goal for renewable energy is implemented, policymakers are looking at smart power generation management measures to ensure energy security from unstable resources.

Mr Siri said the ministry plans to launch a new auction round for the solar photovoltaic (PV) rooftop scheme. That scheme is expected to kick off by 2020 after the smart power management plan is completed.

The aim is to upgrade the readiness of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand’s (Egat’s) national grid because several households plan on joining the solar PV rooftop scheme.

“Power generation from solar energy is becoming more widespread across Thailand, so we need to secure this switch to disruptive technology,” Mr Siri said.

The solar rooftop scheme is expected to be open to households so they can sell their surplus power to Egat or the national power grid.

Details of the scheme, including total capacity, business model and the launching period, are yet to be finalised.

Policymakers, together with the International Energy Agency (IEA), are developing a robust national strategy and increasing national energy security, Mr Siri said.

Both sides are exploring opportunities to conduct joint studies on topics such as policy formulation, long-term development in the energy sector and national oil stock management, he said.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said renewable power in Thailand has many advantages, including domestic energy security and environmental safety, but challenges from unstable resources like solar and wind power remain.

Although the PV cost for solar has declined by 50% over the last three years, renewable power on the whole remains uncertain, he said.

“In the past, renewable energy was almost like a fairy tale, but now it is becoming a mainstream source of power generation,” Mr Birol said. “Under the codevelopment between the ministry and IEA, we plan to find new ways to secure power generation and integrate the system.”

The ministry has been promoting the production of electricity from renewable energy since 1989, the AEDP said.

The ministry has also encouraged Egat to buy electricity from small and very small power producers that use waste or residue from the agricultural sector.

The first renewable energy stage saw combined capacity below 100MW. Two decades later, electricity from solar, hydro, wind, biogas and biowaste reached 20,000MW.