EGAT recommends Sensor for All application amid extreme PM2.5 situation and joins with Lampang Province to set up Mae Moh Climate Change Command Center
14 December 2023EGAT advises the public to monitor fine particulate matter levels via the Sensor for All application and has joined with Lampang Province to establish the Mae Moh Climate Change Command Center in order to develop a channel to purchase biomass fuels and reduce burning sustainably. EGAT has also been developing an air purifier tower for communities and the City Tree to help reduce fine particulate matter.
Mr. Chaiwut Lakmuang, Assistant Governor – Sustainability Management and Deputy Spokesperson of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), revealed that due to the PM2.5 situation, EGAT is concerned about public health and advises the public to monitor the air quality in real-time, 24/7, via the Sensor for All application, which is connected to air quality sensors installed around power plants, large factories, intersections, and tourist attractions at over 1,250 locations nationwide so that the users could be mindful of the air condition and plan the day accordingly. EGAT also invites the public to plant trees which will help capture particulate matter naturally in houses and communities.
As for the main proactive plan, EGAT has collaborated with Lampang Province to establish the Mae Moh Climate Change Command Center and developed the “Don’t Burn, We’ll Buy” channel in the “Fire D” application for purchasing agricultural waste materials, such as corn husks, corn cobs, and bamboo scraps from the Mae Moh community. These materials will be used to produce biomass pellets to burn along with coal in the electricity generation process at Mae Moh Power Plant and will help generate income for the community and sustainably reduce burning and forest fires, which is the main reason for fine particulate matter and smog problems. Moreover, EGAT has joined with volunteers in the area around dams and power plants to create fire lines and participated in forest fire fighting in surrounding areas, such as EGAT Mae Moh, Bhumibol Dam, Sirikit Dam, Srinagarind Dam, and Northeastern hydropower plants.
In addition, EGAT has developed an air purifier tower using plasma technique which pre-charges the air to capture PM2.5 and can purify the air with a highest rate of 30,000 m3/hr covering a radius of 250 m, coupled with the City Tree technology that combines negative ion air purifier for capturing PM2.5 and killing bacteria with an air purifying vertical garden which can purify an area of 200 m2. The tower will be installed at five hospitals, namely Metta Pracharak Hospital (Wat Rai Khing), Charoen Krung Pracharak Hospital, Phra Nang Klao Hospital, Bang Kruai Hospital, and Samoeng Hospital. EGAT has also joined with King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok to develop a prototype for a high-efficient smart cremation furnace that can save over 30% of fuel and help reduce air pollution.
