Latest news with #PTT
Bangkok Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Commission to maintain current power tariff
Electricity bills during the last four months of this year will not be further reduced as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has decided to maintain the current power tariff despite positive factors that could lead to a lower rate. The tariff rate, which is used to determine electricity prices, stands at 3.98 baht per kilowatt-hour (unit), applicable until the end of August. The 3.98-baht rate is among three options the ERC unveiled yesterday to seek the public's opinion. The others were 4.87 and 5.10 baht a unit. "The power tariff remains high as we need to allocate parts of electricity bills to reimburse Egat and PTT," said Poonapat Leesombatpiboon, secretary-general of the ERC. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) previously spent money on subsidising electricity prices, incurring a loss of over 66 billion baht, while national oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc's earlier subsidy programme resulted in a loss of more than 15 billion baht. Higher power tariff rates mean more money will be paid back to Egat and PTT. The ERC set the minimum rate at 3.98 baht a unit, though projected gas and lignite prices, foreign exchange rates and power demand are conducive to setting lower rates. Gas prices, including liquefied natural gas, are expected to decrease by 4.5% to 299 baht per million British thermal units in the last four months of 2025, down from a projected 313 baht per million BTU between May and August, while lignite prices are believed to fall by 7% to 3,600 baht a tonne. Gas and lignite make up more than 60% of fuels used for power generation in Thailand. Power demand is projected to decrease by 8.2% to 72.2 billion kilowatts-hour due to lower temperatures. This enables authorities to distribute electricity, mainly supplied by inexpensive power generation facilities such as coal-fired power plants and hydropower plants. During September and December, the baht is expected to appreciate to 32.9 against the greenback, causing importers to buy gas and coal at lower prices, he said. People are being asked to choose which rates they prefer -- 3.98, 4.87 or 5.10 baht a unit -- on the ERC's website from July 17 through July 28. The 5.10-baht rate would allow Egat and PTT to clear all their financial burdens within December this year while the 4.87-baht rate would be sufficient to pay off the debt owed to Egat. The 3.98-baht rate would only pay back part of Egat's debt, worth 7.07 billion baht.
Bangkok Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
BIG, PTT to jointly develop new air separation unit
BIG, a Thai low-carbon industrial gas manufacturer, has joined hands with PTT Plc to develop a new air separation unit in Rayong, aimed at further strengthening an eco-friendly process used to produce low-carbon gases. The facility, known as MAP2, comes after its predecessor, MAP1, which has significantly driven industries towards net-zero targets aimed at achieving a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and absorption. The air separation unit utilises cold energy from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification process in BIG's industrial gas production. "The success of MAP1, which delivers low-carbon industrial gases, including low-carbon oxygen, low-carbon nitrogen, and low-carbon argon, enables industries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards net-zero goals, and also offers solutions and technologies that help customers and industries reduce their carbon footprint," said Ramani Velu, managing director of BIG. These solutions have been certified by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization for their ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 50%, compared to conventional industrial gas production, resulting in an average reduction of 93,000 tonnes of CO2 per year between 2022 and 2024. "This carbon-reducing technology will be further enhanced in MAP2 for even greater efficiency, driving BIG to expand its efforts in the MAP2 project," said Mr Velu. The collaboration with PTT, the national oil and gas conglomerate, reinforces BIG's business strategy of "Generating a Cleaner Future" to create a clean and sustainable future, he added. By integrating BIG's expertise in industrial gases with PTT's energy capabilities, BIG is confident that MAP2 will be another crucial step forward in enhancing the competitiveness of Thai industries at an international level. MAP2, which reflects the commitment of both companies to drive Thailand towards a low-carbon society, employs advanced and environmentally friendly industrial gas production technology by maximising the utilisation of cold energy from the LNG receiving and regasification process. This will significantly reduce energy consumption, lower production costs, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. MAP2 will serve as another key mechanism to support various Thai industries, such as petrochemicals, metals, automotive, electronics, and food, by providing access to high-quality low-carbon industrial gases produced through carbon-reduction processes. This is a crucial global trend. Both PTT and BIG are committed to working closely together to ensure the successful completion of the MAP2 project, contributing to the sustainable growth of the country's economy based on environmental technology and innovation.
TimesLIVE
16-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
'We are making progress,' says Papo on ANC Gauteng's regional conferences
The ANC's Gauteng provincial task team (PTT) has announced that preparations are under way for the four regions expected to go to conference. PTT co-ordinator Hope Papo said they have made 'good progress,' in meeting the targets announced by party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula earlier this year on the guidelines to be met before a region being eligible for internal elections. The four regions, Greater Johannesburg, Greater Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Sedibeng, are expected to hold conferences to elect new leadership this year. Papo said the regions reported making inroads on the political education front, saying the foundation course mandated for branches to undergo has been well received. 'More than 140 branches in both Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni have made significant strides in completing the five foundation course modules, reinforcing a culture of ideological work and political discipline. More work is continuing at branch level to implement the foundation course.' Hailing the course as a cornerstone of the party's long-standing renewal agenda, he added that the PTT has resolved to ensure that all outstanding branches conclude the modules as expected. Another standard set for eligibility is community outreach, which the party believes will help it reconnect with voters at the grassroots level. 'Through Letsema campaigns and other programmes, branches are reconnecting with communities, addressing local concerns, and rebuilding trust with the people,' he said. Papo conceded that the consolidation of recruitment remains a challenge, but said that their upper structures are looking to rectify the issue. 'Though there are still teething problems with the ANC online membership system, they are being attended to daily by the ANC national organising and membership department working directly with regions and branches. Efforts have been and are continuing to be made through the new ANC online membership system to ensure accuracy in branch membership information ahead of BBGMs and BGMs.' The conferences are scheduled to be held between July and August. However, Papo indicated that previously communicated conference road maps may be altered, indicating a possible change to some of the dates. 'Where necessary, RTTs should rework their conference road maps to ensure maximum participation of branches. We will also intensify support to RTTs to ensure unifying and credible conference processes. 'That will include working with branches and regions to gather all the facts to subject cases of disruption of a few BBGMs to disciplinary processes of the organisation. No one has a right to deny ANC members their right to meet and exercise their internal democratic processes.' These internal contests will be crucial for the party, as the regional leaders elected are will be spearheading Luthuli House's campaign to claw back electoral support during the upcoming local government elections. The PTT reported that they recognise the need to consolidate organisational readiness for the upcoming local polls. Papo revealed that the task team has established a provincial list committee in line with guidelines set by the party headquarters. 'A full-time provincial elections machinery is being established, supported by a structured campaign strategy focused on targeting areas of electoral decline, including suburbs and historically marginalised communities, strengthening by-election performance, party agent training, and deployment logistics and intensifying youth-focused campaigns through increased voter registration, ID drives and sectoral outreach.'
Bangkok Post
15-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Safety key to nuclear goal
Nuclear energy has little support among Thai people. The recent news about a conservation group criticising the latest bilateral cooperation between the US and Thai government to upscale plans for small reactor module (SMR) technology is evidence of this. The latest anti-nuclear online mutterings are a reaction to the rekindled interest among Thai policymakers and investors in pursuing the controversial energy resource. Recently, the government and investors launched collaboration with foreign governments such as Denmark and the US, while local investors such as SET-listed Global Power Synergy (GPSC), the PTT group's power flagship, and Saha Pathanapibul International are also supporters of SMRs. They are joined by Thai academic institutes such as King Mongkut's University of Technology, which is promoting similar nuclear energy courses at its Lat Krabang and North Bangkok campuses. Today in Bangkok, the government and its backers will hold a seminar titled "A Global Dialogue on SMR Deployment". This development is good and welcome. Thailand must prepare to tap new energy resources to cater for the demand by manufacturers to produce low-emission goods. As well as fossil-power energy and intermittent renewable energy, the country must think about acquiring a stable power source to feed the exponential demand from data centres and AI operations. Much smaller in size -- around 15-300 megawatts, SMR technology is being touted as the next game changer for industrial sectors that require an on-site clean and stable energy supply. That means the public must be better informed. There must be a healthy debate on whether and how the country can make use of nuclear energy, given its inherent risks. It is essential that supporters of moves to embrace nuclear energy open their ears to public concerns instead of resorting to platitudes about how beneficial and safe the new technology will be. Likewise, opponents must open their hearts to new information. After all, the world has changed. For five decades, Thailand has tried and failed to develop nuclear energy. Those efforts have been marred by fearful reactions caused by the catastrophic nuclear accidents at Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986 and Japan's Fukushima plant in 2011. But the real problem has always been a lack of trust in Thai officials and investors to handle public safety standards. It is certainly a valid point. In 2000, it took officials at the Atomic Energy Commission for Peace 17 days to find a spent cobalt-60 cylinder stolen from a warehouse by scrap metal workers who later opened it in one of their homes in Samut Prakan. Three later died from radiation sickness, while 1,872 community members were exposed to different levels of radiation. In 2023, a tube containing radioactive element Caesium-137 went missing from the National Power Plant 5A Company's facility in Prachin Buri province before later being found burned in a scrap metal factory. That means the public education drive must not be a PR campaign to force acceptance, either. After all, countries with good public approval ratings of their nuclear energy policies are all societies with trustworthy infrastructure, transparency and well-tested safety standards. Simply promoting new technology is not enough. Without public trust in officials' ability to handle safety, Thailand's quest for nuclear power plants will remain the same pipe dream it has been for the past five decades.
Bangkok Post
09-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
PTT keeps No.1 in Thailand, No.2 in Southeast Asia on Fortune list
PTT Plc has cemented its position as one of Southeast Asia's corporate powerhouses, securing the No.2 ranking in the Fortune Southeast Asia 500 for the second consecutive year. The state-owned energy conglomerate also retained its status as the top-ranked company in Thailand, reflecting its continued leadership in the energy sector and commitment to balanced sustainability during a period of global economic and energy volatility. The Fortune Southeast Asia 500 is a regional expansion of the prestigious Fortune Global 500, which has tracked the world's largest companies by revenue since 1955. The Southeast Asian edition, launched in 2024, recognises the top-performing companies in one of the fastest-growing regions in the world. PTT President and CEO Kongkrapan Intarajang said the ranking underscores the company's ability to adapt, grow, and uphold energy security, even amid global headwinds. "Despite volatile energy markets and a global economic downturn, our strategy has proven effective," he said. "We have continued to grow while reinforcing our environmental responsibilities under our Together for Sustainable Thailand, Sustainable World vision." The company's mission, he added, is to secure Thailand's energy future while advancing growth in parallel with reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Balanced growth strategy PTT's strategy focuses on strengthening its core hydrocarbon business to maintain national energy security, while enhancing value in areas such as LNG, petrochemicals, and refining. This includes expanding international petroleum exploration and production and positioning Thailand as a regional LNG trading hub. At the same time, the group is actively diversifying into non-hydrocarbon businesses with selectivity—prioritising sectors with strong market potential, clear competitive advantages, and robust strategic partnerships—while avoiding overcrowded, high-risk industries. Sustainability remains a key pillar of PTT's long-term roadmap. The group has committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050, with a concerted, group-wide approach to reducing carbon output. This includes exploring carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies and developing a CCS hub model to benefit both PTT and other domestic industries, with potential regional expansion. PTT is also exploring low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia supply chains, particularly for use in industrial and power generation applications—areas it sees as future growth engines. Operational excellence and governance In parallel with its external efforts, the group is also investing internally to improve operational efficiency and competitiveness. It is leveraging digital and AI technologies to enhance performance and profitability, while implementing key internal projects across subsidiaries to deliver integrated value. PTT has also reinforced its commitment to fiscal discipline, prudent investment, and effective liquidity management. The group adheres to principles of transparency and good governance, aiming to create balanced value for all stakeholders—including shareholders, communities, and the nation at large.
