EGAT aims for EGAT Carbon Neutrality in 2050 with Triple S Strategy, including 1-million-rai reforestation project, to build carbon-free society for Thais
26 October 2021EGAT is moving towards EGAT Carbon Neutrality in 2050 by implementing a “Triple S” strategy to support the national goal on tackling climate change, and joins hands with alliances to execute a 1-million-rai reforestation project to build a carbon-free future for Thais.
On October 20, 2021, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) held EGAT Carbon Neutrality Declaration and Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony for a participatory 1-million-rai reforestation project with the Royal Forest Department, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, while Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment delivered a keynote speech. On this occasion, Mr. Boonyanit Wongrukmit, EGAT Governor, also declared EGAT Carbon Neutrality policy.
EGAT Governor revealed that since climate change which Thailand and the word has faced becomes more severe, EGAT would like to play a part in Thailand’s clean energy target and Carbon Neutrality Goal by 2065–2070. EGAT has proposed to achieve EGAT Carbon Neutrality in 2050 with a key principle of balancing electricity generation cost, environmental impact, and power system security.
Having placed importance on issue prevention and solutions across the supply chain of electricity generation, EGAT has a direction towards EGAT Carbon Neutrality with a concern on mutual development among society, community, and environment, to sustainably reach low-carbon society under Triple S Strategy as follows:
S – Sources Transformation is to set a share of renewable energy in generation mix. Renewable energy innovation is integrated for continual and stable electricity output. A key project is hydro-floating solar hybrid power plants combined with battery energy storage system with a total capacity of 5,325 MW by 2036. In addition, EGAT is implementing Grid Modernization for the smooth integration of renewable energy into the system, without an impact on the whole generation system. Modern technologies as well as clean and environmentally-friendly energy sources such as hydrogen will be utilized for electricity generation in the future. It is expected that hydrogen will be used for electricity generation in 2044, and it will generate the electricity of 66,000 million units by 2050.
S – Sink Co-creation is to absorb and store carbon through the participatory 1-million-rai reforestation project. To implement the project, EGAT and its alliances will focus on conservation forest, mangrove forest, community forest, and economic forest. The project will last 10 years from 2022 to 2031; trees will be planted on an area of 100,000 rai per year. Moreover, EGAT will apply Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage or CCUS in 2045 to store carbon of 3.5 – 7 million tons.
S – Support Measures Mechanism is comprised of measures to avoid carbon dioxide emissions tangibly. EGAT has promoted energy efficiency since 1994 to reduce power demand and CO2 emissions from electricity generation through various projects, including label no.5, energy advisory, electric vehicle support, and green classroom which is implemented in 400 schools across the country. Besides, EGAT has launched mechanism to promote bio economy, circular economy, and green economy.
“EGAT is going to achieve Carbon Neutrality in 2050 by executing key measures that are Sources: to increase renewable energy share, especially through Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid project with a total capacity of 5,325 MW in 2037 and hydrogen technology that will be added at the end of the project plan, Sink: to plant trees covering an area of one million rai by 2031 and apply CCUS technology in 2045, and Support which combines projects on energy efficiency and BCG economy to avoid CO2 emissions around 8 million tons in 2050. All will be done for the carbon-free future of all Thais,” said EGAT Governor.