Country’s fuel usage up 13.5% in 2022

Economic recovery drives consumption

Last year saw the full resumption of air and land transport inside and outside Thailand, without travel restrictions. NANTHIKA THANGSUPANICH Director-general, Department of Energy Business

Thai fuel consumption rose by 13.5% last year, driven by the easing of the Covid-19 pandemic, full reopening of the country and economic recovery, says the Department of Energy Business (DOEB).

Last year saw the full resumption of air and land transport inside and outside Thailand, without travel restrictions imposed under lockdown measures, said Nanthika Thangsupanich, director-general of the DOEB.

The consumption of diesel, gasohol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas exceeded levels recorded in January 2020, before the pandemic hit Thailand and other countries.

However, jet fuel consumption in 2022, which stood at 9.14 million litres per day (MLD), a sharp increase from 4.8 MLD in 2021, was still below that of the peak tourism season in 2019 when the amount of consumed jet oil was 19.3 MLD, said Ms Nanthika.

Total fuel consumption in 2022 was 151.1 MLD, an increase from 133.1 MLD in 2021.

Demand for gasoline and gasohol, a mix of gasoline and ethanol, rose by 3.9% to 30.1 MLD, up from 29 MLD in 2021.

Diesel consumption, which is mostly used in the transport and industrial sectors, increased by 15.7% year-on-year to 73 MLD, up from 63.1 MLD.

Consumption of LPG, which is used as a cooking gas, a raw material in the petrochemical industry, and vehicle fuel, grew by 5.9% to 17.5 MLD, up from 16.5 MLD.

Demand for compressed natural gas rose by 8.9% to 3,400 tonnes per day, up from 3,120 tonnes per day, while fuel oil consumption rose by 15.7% to 6.4 MLD, up from 5.53 MLD.

Only kerosene consumption shrunk by 15.9% to 0.01 MLD, a further decrease from 0.02 MLD, as people shifted to cheaper fuels and the industrial sector reduced its usage as a raw material.

According to the DOEB, the import of crude oil, LPG and refined oil also rose by 10.6% to 991,268 barrels per day (BPD), up from 898,054 BPD in 2021.

The export of refined oil declined by 21.5% to 159,414 BPD, down from 203,182 BPD in 2021.

Ms Nanthika said oil consumption grew in the same direction as GDP growth, which was also driven by the lifting of lockdown measures and work-from-home guidelines last year.