Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding PCL. ("RATCH") today assures generating efficiency of its 5,745 megawatts three power plants namely, Ratchaburi Power Plant, Ratchaburi-Power Power Plant and Tri Energy Power Plant. These plants are ready to operate electricity in full capacity to serve national power system even though the Yetagun gas field in Myanmar will be halted its operation for maintenance for 15 days during 25 December 2013 and 8 January 2014. RATCH’s three power plants are preparing their readiness in both generation’s efficiency and supply of diesel and fuel oil to substitute natural gas, their primary fuel.
Mr. Pongdith Potchana, Chief Executive Officer of RATCH, disclosed that three power plants of RATCH located in Ratchaburi Province have shifted their annual plant maintenance away from Yetakun’s shutdown period in order to provide backup generation capacity to the national power system. Principally, maintenance of Thermal Unit 1 of Ratchaburi Power Plant has been accelerated to finish before the Yetakun’s shutdown. At the same time, the maintenance of combined cycle block 2 of Ratchaburi Power will be done earlier while the combined cycle block 1 will be done after the Yetakun resumes its normal operation. Meanwhile, Tri Energy is prepared for full dispatch.
"Technically, the three power plants were designed for dual firing with natural gas as primary fuel and oil as secondary, to cope with risk of primary fuel shortage. Thermal unit 1-2 of Ratchaburi power plant can be fired by oil, its secondary fuel. The combined cycle of Ratchaburi power plant, Ratchaburi Power and Tri Energy can use diesel in substitute of natural gas. These plants have been periodically tested their generation with oil. Ratchaburi power plant is ready to run at its 3,645 megawatts full capacity, Ratchaburi-Power at 1,200 megawatts and Tri Energy at 700 megawatts.
Mr. Pongdith added that gas shortage incidents occurred several times in the past 3-4 years. During those critical period the Group of Ratchaburi Power Plant successfully supported reliability of national power grid by their dual-firing potential. This year, the power plants of RATCH located in Ratchaburi Province have been well prepared for the situation. As a private power producer, RATCH takes national electricity security as its high priority and it is confident that we are well performed and accountable. However, all parties should be aware of efficient power saving to help support the government’s policy.
At present, Ratchaburi Power Plant has reserved 67 million litres of fuel oil for 11-day generation and 29 million litres of diesel for 3-day dispatch. As for Ratchaburi Power, diesel firing has been tested every month and the plant reserves 21 million litres of diesel for 3-day power generation. Tri Energy has also reserved 10 million litres of diesel enabling 3-day generation. As a consequence, the oil reserve volume of the three facilities is sufficient for support power generation during the Yetakun’s shutdown period.
Apart from preparation of alternated fuel reserves and power plants' efficiency, RATCH has also taken into accountability of environmental management from oil's operation. All power plants will ensure environmental quality management system in place and emission is limited under accepted international standard. At the same time, activity concerning oil-firing of the power plants will be communicated to communities surrounding in advance.
The 3,645 megawatt Ratchaburi power plant, RATCH’s wholly owned subsidiary, is located in Ratchaburi province. It consists of 2 units of 1,470 megawatts thermal plants and 3 blocks of 2,175 MW combined-cycle plants. Both types of power plants use natural gas from Yadana and Yetagun gas fields of Myanmar as their primary fuel, and fuel oil and diesel as secondary fuel respectively.
Ratchaburi Power, a 25% equity owned affiliate in Ratchaburi province, is a combined cycle facility with 1,400 megawatts capacity. It primarily uses natural gas from Yadana and Yetagun gas field of Myanmar and diesel as secondary fuel. Tri Energy, a 50% equity owned affiliate in Ratchaburi, operates 700-MWcombined cycle plant mainly firing with natural gas from Yadana and Yetagun gas field of Myanmar and diesel for secondary.