To be finished in 2028 or 2029 is the distribution system reform on the visitor island with the most power.
PUBLISHED: 11 Feb 2025 at 18: 02
Regulators on the Thai visitor island of Koh Samui are using diesel-fueled generators to generate more electricity to solve frequent power outages caused by outdated transmission lines.
The project is a temporary fix before novel transmission lines are finished by 2028, according to Prasert Sinsukpraert, continuous secretary to the Ministry of Energy.
He claimed to have gone to a hotel to check out the disruptions and join with local authorities to discuss the issue while there.
Officials agreed to deal with the interruptions by using wireless generators, with energy generation capability of 10 mw, said Mr Prasert. Up until the installation of new distribution lines, this capacity may be sufficient to guarantee stable electricity supply.
Koh Samui, with a continuous native inhabitants of around 50, 000, welcomed about 2.7 million Thai and international travellers in 2024.
The development of the distribution method is divided into two phases, with the installation’s first phase set to be finished in 2028. In 2029, the second phase is expected to be finished.
The 11.2-billion-baht initiative, which includes installing underground cables, will begin in the second quarter of this year, Mr Prasert said.
Samui may be connected to a station in the Khanom city of Nakhon Si Thammarat by a 48-kilometer tranny line with a 230 kilovolt capacity.
” The electricity supply loss must be solved in the short term primary”, said Mr Prasert.
” We also intend to communicate with hotel and resort operators about implementing additional measures to better control power supply and demand, such as installing rooftop solar panels and using energy-saving equipment,” said the company.
On Koh Samui, power interruptions typically occur during the peak tourist season between April and May, when power demand is highest.
More tourists and the growth of businesses on the island have resulted in more demand for electricity, but source is constrained.
An official from the energy ministry who requested anonymity claimed that the Provincial Electricity Authority ( PEA ) had previously planned to install new underwater power cables, but the project fell through due to a dispute with construction companies.