Akanat Urges Thai Energy Structure Overhaul for Clean Energy Transitio

Matichon•Economy•14h ago

Reader Briefing

Energy Minister Akanat Promphan advocates for a rapid transition to clean energy to ensure national security and competitiveness amidst global geopolitical instability.

•Energy Minister Akanat Promphan spoke at the 'NEW ENERGY FOR THAILAND' seminar on August 26.
•The Ministry of Energy plans to open public hearings for the new Power Development Plan (PDP) on September 8, 2026.
•The government aims to increase the proportion of clean energy in the PDP to over 60%, potentially reaching 80-90% if Carbon Capture technology is unavailable.

Overview

•Akanat Promphan stated that geopolitical issues in the Middle East have accelerated the need for Thailand to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.
•Akanat Promphan noted that Thailand currently relies on crude oil imports for up to 90% of its needs.
•The government plans to promote biofuels as a national agenda, specifically increasing ethanol production proportions from E10 to E20.
•The government will increase gas sources in the Gulf of Thailand, onshore, Andaman, and Myanmar, alongside expanding solar energy.
•The government is expanding Direct PPA for clean electricity to all industries, removing previous volume restrictions previously limited to Data Centers at 2,000 megawatts.
•The Ministry of Energy will hold public hearings for the new PDP draft on September 8, 2026.
•The government intends to use funds from an Emergency Decree on loans to support solar installations for 1 million households.
•The government is developing a Smart Grid to support energy from solar, wind, water, and energy storage systems.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Akanat Promphan

"We cannot continue to tie the future of the country, businesses, and the people to Middle Eastern oil wells or energy imports from abroad like this."

เราจะเอาอนาคตของประเทศ อนาคตธุรกิจ และประชาชนไปผูกกับบ่อนำ้มันตะวันออกกลาง หรือผูกกับการนำเข้าพลังงานจากต่างประเทศแบบนี้ต่อไปไม่ได้

Key Entities

Person

Akanat Promphan(เอกนัฏ พร้อมพันธุ์)ℹ️

Minister of Energy of Thailand.

Organization

Ministry of Energy(กระทรวงพลังงาน)ℹ️

The government ministry responsible for preparing the new PDP draft.

Matichon(มติชน)ℹ️

The editorial team that organized the 'NEW ENERGY FOR THAILAND' seminar.

Fuel Oil Fund(กองทุนน้ำมันเชื้อเพลิง)

The entity used to manage and stabilize domestic fuel prices.

Place

Pullman King Power Bangkok (Rang Nam)(โรงแรมพูลแมน คิง เพาเวอร์ กรุงเทพ (รางน้ำ))

The venue where the energy seminar was held.

Policy

Power Development Plan (PDP)(แผนพัฒนากำลังผลิตไฟฟ้าของประเทศ)

The national plan for electricity production capacity aimed at achieving Net Zero and energy security.

Law

Emergency Decree on Loans(พ.ร.ก.เงินกู้)

The legislation providing funds to support solar installations for citizens.