Bangkok--10 Apr--Greenpeace
Community folk from the Pak Panang river basin gathered by the thousands today to oppose the plan by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to build a coal-fired power plant in the area. Coal plants will negatively affect community life and livelihood reliant on the river basins’ rich but fragile natural resources. Nakon Sri Thammarat is one of the country’s major food producers. Nearshore fishery, shrimp farming, bird nest collecting, and rice farming contribute several hundred million Baht annually to the country’s economy and benefits hundreds of thousands people in the province.
ChariyaSenpong, Greepeace Southeast Asia’s Climate and Energy Campaigner said: “There is no such thing as ‘clean coal’. It is a myth created by the coal industry. Instead of listening to big industry that pushes for dirty coal-fired power plant projects which put community life and livelihood in danger, the government and EGAT must adopt a clear and serious plan to take advantage and maximize the use and production of energy from renewable resources in the province. There is an abundance of renewable energy potential in Nakorn Sri Thammarat — almost 3,100 Megawatts can be generated from wind energy alone, while as many as 46 locations have been identified as sites for small scale hydroelectric power generators. We believe that this type of renewable energy installations will contribute to economic development corresponding to the province’s strategic plan and the true needs of the people”.