To Nathee, it will fail because of the lack of fuel sources.

“A supply shortage is expected because certain kinds of biomass would be used up by other industries as raw materials. For example, rice husks would go mainly to ice and brick-making factories while bagasse, wood chips and animal dung would be sources of raw materials for other industries.”

“As biomass power projects will depend on fuel sources supplied by other producers such as rice husks from rice millers or bagasse from sugar mills, plant operators will not be able to regulate supply or control costs. Rice husks have already become more expensive due to strong demand from existing power plants.

“In addition, the government’s condition requiring that at least 80% of local residents support a biomass project in their area imposes the additional cost of an environmental impact assessment, and many power projects already face opposition from local residents,” added Nathee who also blasted a plan to which would see the setting up of small hydro-electric plants on the grounds of opposition from the Irrigation Department and the lack of suitable areas for them.

Ratchaburi Power recently had a plan for the setting up of a coal-fired power plant squashed for environmental reasons. However, only 20 power plants in Thailand have been licensed to use alternative fuels, which accounts for just 1% of the country’s total electricity output.