FRENCH FIRMS PROPOSE THAI LNG IMPORTS
Thai officials are considering a French group's proposal to import liquefied natural gas into Thailand to generate electrical power at a cost of more than $1 billion.
Electricite de France, Gaz de France (GDF), and Total submitted a study to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) on the technical and economic feasibility of constructing a combined cycle power plant with initial capacity of 1.2 million kw in Rayong Province.
It would be fed by LNG, probably from Qatar's supergiant offshore North gas field.
The French group would take responsibility for LNG supply, transportation, design and construction of an LNG terminal and power plant construction.
The project would be in partnership with EGAT and other Thai companies.
Proposed site is at Mab Ta Phud, a large industrial zone in the eastern seaboard province about 220 km southeast of Bangkok.
GDF's engineering consulting unit Sofregaz is working on preliminary design and cost estimates of the LNG terminal and related facilities, alone expected to cost about $1 billion.
ENERGY DEMAND GROWTH
Thailand's explosive economic growth underpins projections of soaring energy demand growth during the 1990s.
The French group estimates Thai electrical power demand will rocket by 20 million kw in the 1990s.
Thai authorities have been mulling several options to generate future supplies of electricity.
However, industry officials have projected domestic gas supplies will fall short of demand this decade.
The French group is urging them to shift planned power plants to more environmentally benign LNG from imported coal or domestic lignite.
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