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EGAT may relocate power plants to Indonesia
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)
is looking into the possibility of selling some of its older power plants to
Indonesia. EGAT Governor Stthiporn Ratanopas recently stated that some of
its power plants can be dispensed with.
Eddie Widino, director of Indonesia’s state-owned
electricity company PT PLN said, “I think there is a chance here as
Indonesia now needs a vast supply of electricity.”
The plants offered are a 33X75 Mw coal-fired power plant;
a 4X60 Mw gas turbine plant and a 2X75 Mw steam-generated plant (PLTU).
In response to the EGAT plan, Widino said PT PLN welcomed
it, particularly because EGAT would offer competitive prices.
“We have yet to negotiate in detail the prices of the
power plants but for sure, they will be cheaper than those offered by the
private contractors group IPP (Independent Power Producers),” Widino
added.
Widino said that although the power plants offered were
second hand, PLN was not afraid as they would be operated fully by the EGAT.
The locations of the plants have yet to be decided. “But we will give
priority to regions which are facing an electricity crisis, in particular
those outside the island of Java,” he said. (TNA)
Private sector urges government to tackle EU trade barriers
A leading industrialist is calling on the government to
bring the issue of European Union non-tax trade barriers into the global
limelight, saying that such barriers were not fair for developing countries.
Nilsuwann Leelarassamee, deputy president of the Thai
Industrial Council’s committee on non-tax trade barriers, warned that the
EU’s imposition of an integrated product policy (IPP) on products that did
not meet its stringent environmental requirements could have a devastating
effect on developing economies.
Nilsuwann called on the Thai government to ensure that
the matter was brought to the attention of global bodies such as the World
Trade Organization and the Asian Free Trade Association to persuade the EU
to slow down their imposition of the IPP or scrap it altogether.
The fact that the rich nations of the EU could extract
taxes from developing nations would pose a severe impediment to the
industrial competitiveness of nations such as Thailand, he said. (TNA)
Steel industry likely to improve this year
The steel industry is expected to improve this year due
to the recovery of property business and the significant increase in the
product demand by China. Win Viriyaprapaikit, senior executive vice
president of Sahaviriya Steel Industry Plc, said the government’s move to
stimulate the economy by boosting the property business, particularly the
program to build over 11,727 units of houses for the poor would contribute
to the steel industry’s recovery.
The considerable demand by China, which is the county’s
new key steel export destination, will also boost the region’s steel
industry. It was projected the local steel industry would grow 10% this year
with the demand for 5.1 million tons compared with 4.8 million tons last
year.
Win said the company planned to increase the production
of hot-rolled steel to 2.4 million tons from around 2 million last year to
accommodate the increased demand locally. As well, the firm had a plan to
increase the export of the product by 10% with China and the United States
becoming main destinations.
In the first quarter of this year, the order placement
from China increased to around 120,000 tons partly because the company
stressed penetrating the Chinese market.
However, high production costs of the product are still a
cause for concern. Should the costs continue to increase, price increases
are unavoidable.
Currently, the local steel price stands around US$315 per
ton while that in the world market is $340 per ton. (TNA)
Forthcoming Industrial Fair will be a money spinner
Organizers hoping for 100 million baht in the coffers
Supatatt Dangkrueng
The Chiang Mai Industrial Fair is expected to bring in
more than 100 million baht say the organizers, which include the Federation
of Thai Industry Chiang Mai, Industrial Promotion Center Region 1, Chiang
Mai Provincial Industry Office, Board of Investment (BOI), Industrial
Finance Corporation of Thailand (IFCT), and Thai Small and Medium
scaled-Enterprises (SME) Operators Association, Chiang Mai. The fair will
run from January 30 to February 9 at the Industrial Promotion Center Region
1, Chiang Mai.
Sansern Sutjaritkul, the president of Thai SME
Associations, Chiang Mai-Lamphun branch, said the fair is being held aiming
to promote and develop industry in the northern region. It will also
facilitate connection and cooperation between all SME’s in Thailand and
foreign countries.
There are 6 categories of products that can be found
here, which are ceramics, woven cloth, furniture, foods, jewelry and farm
machinery. This year has special activities celebrating the 20 year
anniversary of the Industry Council. Since it is being supported by BOI and
IFCT, it is expected that the numbers of visitors will increase from the
previous year with an additional 10% expected.
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