Akanat pushes energy transition to reduce Middle East oil reliance

Khaosod•Economy•13h ago

Reader Briefing

Energy Minister Akanat Promphan announces a strategic energy transition to reduce reliance on imported oil and increase clean energy proportions.

•Energy Minister Akanat Promphan outlined 4 measures to enhance energy security and competitiveness.
•The new PDP plan aims for clean energy proportions of 60-90%.
•Direct PPA is being expanded to all industries to attract new investments.
•The government aims to support solar power for 1 million households.

•Energy Minister Akanat Promphan delivered a special lecture titled "New Energy for Thailand : Changing Energy, Betting on Thailand's Future" organized by Matichon.
•Energy Minister Akanat Promphan stated that geopolitical crises in the Middle East have severely impacted the global energy supply chain.
•Energy Minister Akanat Promphan noted that Thailand currently relies on crude oil imports for up to 90%.
•The Ministry of Energy plans to hold a public hearing for the new PDP plan on September 8, 2026.
•The Ministry of Energy is expanding Direct PPA access from being limited to Data Centers to all industries without quantity limits.
•The Ministry of Energy is pushing ethanol as a national agenda, moving from E10 to E20 to reduce crude oil imports.
•The Ministry of Energy aims to expand the solar rooftop purchase target from 500 megawatts to 1,000–3,000 megawatts, targeting 1 million households for a total of 5,000 megawatts.
•The Ministry of Energy is accelerating the development of a Smart Grid to support renewable energy including solar, wind, water, and energy storage systems.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Akanat Promphan

"We cannot continue to tie the future of the country and the people to Middle East oil wells like this."

เราจะเอาอนาคตของประเทศและประชาชนไปผูกกับบ่อน้ำมันตะวันออกกลางแบบนี้ต่อไปไม่ได้

Akanat Promphan(เอกนัฏ พร้อมพันธุ์)ℹ️

The Minister of Energy who announced the strategic energy transition plan.

Ministry of Energy(กระทรวงพลังงาน)ℹ️

The government body driving the energy security strategy and the new PDP plan.

Matichon(มติชน)ℹ️

The editorial team that organized the special lecture on energy transition.

Fuel Oil Fund(กองทุนน้ำมันเชื้อเพลิง)

The fund used to support and stabilize domestic diesel prices.

Middle East(ตะวันออกกลาง)ℹ️

The region experiencing geopolitical crises that affect global energy supply chains.

Singapore(สิงคโปร์)ℹ️

The location of the diesel price reference used by Thailand.

PDP

The power development plan aiming to increase clean energy proportions to 60-90%.

Direct PPA

A policy allowing industries to buy and sell clean electricity directly.

Emergency Loan Decree(พ.ร.ก.เงินกู้)

The source of funding used to support the public solar project.