WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

2. Generate off-grid hydropower at village level for
non-electrified households.
3. Support the construction of hydropower plant
projects at community level, allowing the local
administrative organization or local people to
collaborate as project owners. Encourage them to
self-manage and maintain the plant.
4. Solve the problems and barriers in micro
hydropower projects located in sensitive areas: river
basin at the floor 1-B, national park or wild animal
preserved zone.
5. Assign the DEDE and EGAT to develop small
hydropower of downstream irrigation dams and mini
hydropower systems at generation capacity of 200-
6,000 kW.
6. Disseminate information and conduct public
relations to state the advantages of hydropower
projects.
7. Promote research work as a mechanism in the
development of an integrated renewable energy
industry by conducting research and development of
the run-of-river micro hydropower turbine and by
studying and developing low-head turbine types.
There are active local manufacturers with experience
in small hydropower development in Thailand.
Renewable energy policy
Since energy prices have been rising and have affected
the country’s economic development the Ministry of
Energy has come up with a policy to develop
renewable energy and to reduce its import
dependency. Under the Alternative Energy
Development Plan (AEDP) 2008-2022, Thailand set a
target for the renewable energy portfolio at 20.3 per
cent of the final energy consumption by 2022. 8 This
increased to 25 per cent under the Power
Development Plan 2011-2030 and the Renewable and
Alterative Energy Development Plan 2012-2021. 6
Targets have been set to promote small hydropower
at 0.04 per cent by 2015 and 0.03 per cent by 2020 of
energy production. 7
Legislation on small hydropower
With regards to small hydropower, in 2002, Thailand
introduced the supportive VSPPs policy for
installations with capacities not greater than 1 MW.
VSPPs are private power producers with a generating
capacity of less than 10 MW that sell electricity to
MEA or PEA. The policy is also applicable for
renewable technologies and other non-conventional
resources (i.e. waste, agricultural residues, biomass
and solar energy), as well as Combined Heat and
Power (CHP) and Cogeneration systems. 8
In September 2006, the policy was altered in order to
encompass projects generating 1-10 MW, i.e. Small
Power Producers (SPPs). 8
Barriers to small hydropower development
Some administrative issues have led to small
hydropower installations having had to be abandoned
when a village wants to connect to PEA supplied
electricity.
There appears to be no mechanism for an
electricity buy-back scheme. 9 This could generate
much needed local finances and stimulate an
economy at the grassroots, where small
hydropower could become much more than a
clean energy source.
Expansion of the grid to rural areas with no
previous grid access means a competition to offgrid
small hydropower plants, because even
though grid electricity is more expensive than
micro-hydropower – from a national perspective
– it is heavily subsidized for rural customers. 9
These kinds of policies undermine small
hydropower growth.
Financial barriers also present a problem as
financial institutions, becoming increasingly
familiar with renewable energy technology, are
still prone to overestimate risk or are unwilling to
provide financing on terms that would otherwise
allow the development of viable small
hydropower opportunities.
References
1. Central Intelligence Agency (2012). The World
Factbook. Available from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook.
2. International Energy Agency (2011). World Energy
Outlook 2012. Available from www.iea.org/.
3. Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (2011).
Annual Report 2011. Available from
www.egat.co.th/images/stories/annual/reports/2554
annual2011_eng_all.pdf Accessed August 2012.
4. Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (2010).
Summary of Thailand Power Development Plan. 2010
2030. Report no. 912000-5305 System Planning
Division.
5. Department of Alternative Energy Development
and Efficiency (2012). The Renewable and Alternative
Energy Development Plan for 25 Percent in 10 Years
(AEDP 2012-2021). Available from
www.dede.go.th/dede/images/stories/dede_aedp_20
12_2021.pdf Accessed December 2012.
6. Wisuttisak, P (2010). Regulatory Framework of Thai
Electricity.
7. Panporn Suwan, Thailand Department of Water
Resources (2011). Survey by International Center on
Small Hydro Power answered in October.
8. Sukkumnoed, D., Greacen, C., Thai, P., Limstit, P.,
Bureekul, T., Thongplon, S. and Nuntavorakan, S.
(2006). Governing the Power Sector: An Assessment
of Electricity Governance in Thailand. World
Resources Institute. Available from
http://electricitygovernance.wri.org/files/egi/egi_thail
and_report_0.pdf. Accessed December 2012.
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