EGAT opens Phuket 3 Substation to enhance energy security of ‘Pearl of the Andaman Sea’ and to welcome recovering economy and bustling tourism after COVID-19
22 June 2022EGAT moved forward to develop the electricity system in Phuket Province by opening Phuket 3 Substation to increase the ability to supply electricity and enhance energy security, as well as support the economic growth, the recovery of the tourism industry, and investments in the long-term.
On June 21, 2022, Mr. Amnuay Phinsuwan, Deputy Governor of Phuket, and Mr. Boonyanit Wongrukmit, Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) co-chaired the official opening of Phuket 3 Substation to supply electricity to Phuket Province. The ceremony was witnessed by heads of government agencies, representatives of the community, EGAT executives and officials, and the press at Phuket 3 Substation, Ko Kaeo Sub-district, Mueang District, Phuket Province.
Mr. Amnuay Phinsuwan said that Phuket is one of the country’s important strategic locations for tourism. It is also the province with the second-highest income from tourism after Bangkok. Phuket has so many beautiful attractions and abundant natural resources that it is called the ‘Pearl of the Andaman Sea.’ The goal is for Phuket to become the hub of tourism, education, and service innovation at the international level, and to have sustainable development. Having a secure and sufficient electricity infrastructure is the heart of developing Phuket in the long-term. The opening of Phuket 3 Substation will give Phuket a capable electricity infrastructure and support the increasing electricity demand, leading to the achievement of the goals and strategies that were set.
Mr. Boonyanit Wongrukmit said that EGAT is responsible for electricity system security of the country and has developed the electricity infrastructure to support the increasing electricity demand in the South, especially Phuket, in the long-term with sustainability. As Phuket has the second-highest electricity demand in the South and an electricity consumption growth of 7-10 percent per year, EGAT carried out the project of Transmission System Improvement in the Western and Southern Regions to Enhance System Security, Phase 1, and built the new Phuket 3 Substation to support electricity from the 500 kV transmission lines from the Central to the South. The construction is now complete and it started supplying electricity at the end of April 2022.
As for the Phuket 3 Substation, it is a Gas Insulated Substation (GIS), a modern technology that reduces the construction area. The project connects the system from the Central via Bang Saphan 2 – Surat Thani 2 transmission lines, and end at Phuket 3 Substation with a total length of 504 km. It is also regarded as the first 500 kV transmission lines of the South and the longest in Thailand. The project will more than double the ability to supply electricity from the Central to the South, from 700 MW to 1,600 MW, increase the ability to supply electricity to Phuket in the future, as well as support the growing economy, society, and investment in the tourism industry in the long-term with sustainability.
EGAT takes care of the electricity system to be efficient and eco-friendly for the happiness of the people under the concept of ‘EGAT for ALL.’