The Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo) has kept the retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) unchanged even though global prices continue to fall.

The lower world price will allow the government to collect a higher levy to put in the state Gas Fund.

Eppo director-general Twarath Sutabutr said the office agreed yesterday to keep the reference retail price of LPG for August unchanged at 20.29 baht a kilogramme after the global LPG price fell by US$14 a tonne to $287.

The implication was that the retail price would drop by 32 satang based on the new global rate, but Eppo agreed to add a 32-satang levy instead to take the total levy to 39 satang.

The Gas Fund is forecast to collect an additional 133 million baht a month to the 7.14 billion baht already on hand.

Mr Twarath said LPG prices are expected to maintain a downward trend in the second half.

The Energy Business Department yesterday gave the go-ahead for PTT Plc, the national oil and gas conglomerate, to import 44,000 tonnes of LPG to supply the domestic market in case production is disrupted by an emergency shutdown.

Mr Twarath said the Energy Policy Administration Committee may lower the proportion of methyl ester blended in biodiesel from 7% to 3.5% in order to use less palm oil after output was cut by the drought.

The committee provided an update on the development of renewable energy.

Solar farms owned by 67 agricultural cooperatives have a total capacity of 281 megawatts. All the power was sold to the state. Some 56 of the cooperatives are expected to sign power purchase agreements this month.

Bids for licences to develop waste-to-energy projects are expected to open next month, with 50MW produced from industrial waste and 130MW from metropolitan waste.

Meanwhile, PTT Global Chemical Plc yesterday renamed its wholly owned subsidiary Thai Oleochemicals Co as Global Green Chemicals Plc, which will develop bioplastics from downstream to specialty grade and may be listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Global Green Chemicals is conducting a feasibility study into making bioplastics from sugar cane and oleochemicals from palm oil.

Source:
courtesy of BANGKOK POST

by Yuthana Praiwan

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