Thailand remains far from reaching renewable energy target

BANGKOK, August 8 (TNA) - Several parties have admitted that Thailand now remains far from reaching its national target of promoting renewable energy, especially gasohol. The acknowledgement was echoed at a seminar on renewable energy organized by the National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC) in Bangkok on Tuesday. The several parties expressed their concerns over the possibility of Thailand to reach the national renewable energy target of using some 9 million liters of ethanol and nearly 6 million liters of biodiesel a day by 2021, as the country produces and uses only 1-3 million liters of gasohol a day currently. Amnuay Thongsathit, chief inspector-general of the Thai Ministry of Energy, told the seminar that his ministry is seeking cooperation from other petrol retailers, apart from state-supported PTT Public Company Limited (PTT) and Bangchak Petroleum Public Company Limited (Bangchak), to sell gasohol E20 and is encouraging local motorcyclists to use more gasohol. Amnuay said that his ministry also plans to end domestic supply of 91 octane petrol by January 2013 despite its high demand, as about 500,000 cars, 500,000 motorcycles and a number of farm vehicles cannot use gasohol and his ministry, therefore, plans to compensate the motorists. Vichien Usanachote, Bangchak's senior executive vice president, maintained that his company has fully promoted renewable energy but it appears to be difficult to achieve the Ministry of Energy's renewable energy target. Vichien warned that after the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is formed by 2015, there should be groups of investors to support farmers in neighboring countries in growing energy plants such as sugarcane, cassava and oil palm, which should affect Thai farmers, urging the Thai government to help, thus, boost the productivity of Thai farmers and cushion negative impacts of ethanol on local oil refiners, as ethanol will replace refined oil. (TNA)