Egat to run plants on bunker oil

       The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand will have to run three power plants on bunker oil after gas transmission from the Arthit Field was halted.
       Deputy governor Wirat Kanjanapibul yesterday said in a statement that the field's shutdown had blocked the daily supply of 338 million cubic feet of natural gas to Egat.
       Egat plans to resume the gas-fired generators in the Chachoengsao's Bang Pakong district, southern Bangkok and Ratchaburi province tomorrow if the stoppage is fixed by yesterday as expected by PTT.
       The disruption followed a similar accident with gas transmission from the Bongkot and Yadana fields in Burma last week. To avoid a blackout in western Thailand due to the stoppage, Egat decided to release water from the Srinakarin Dam in Kanchanaburi province to generate power, which resulted in flooding.
       The Cabinet acknowledged the technical problems and was informed that eight villages in Muang district had been affected by flooding, along with three resorts, some raft operations and farming areas.
       Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul said a committee would be up set to investigate the sudden release of water from Srinakarin Dam.
       Deputy permanent secretary Norkun Sitthiphong will chair the committee, which will have seven days to summarise the facts and submit a report. "The committee will find out why the water had to be released and whether the decision was appropriate. It must also come up with preventive measures," he said.
       He quashed reports that the floods were caused by earthquakes.
       Seventy per cent of fuel for power generation is natural gas.
       While the joint development area was closed for annual maintenance from August 9 until today, Egat's Krabi power plant has operated with bunker oil, while its Chana plant has been suspended.