Title: Environmental implications of electricity purchase from independent power producers: a case study from Thailand

Authors: Rabin Shrestha, Ram M. Shrestha

Addresses: School of Environment Resource and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand. ' School of Environment Resource and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand

Abstract: This paper analyses the effect on the environment of electricity purchase from independent power producers (IPPs) in the case of Thailand. The environmental implication is evaluated in terms of the net change in emission of air pollutants with electricity purchase from IPPs by a utility. The main finding of the study is that electricity purchase from a non-dispatchable IPP plant based on coal-fired generation would increase the net emissions compared with that without the purchase from IPPs. The study also shows that the lower plant factor of the IPP plant would also increase the emission of air pollutants. Furthermore, with non-dispatchable IPP plants, the total emission of air pollutants would increase, whereas with dispatchable IPP plants the total emission would decrease with the level of electricity purchases.

Keywords: air pollution; electricity; privatisation; Thailand

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2003.004328

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2003 Vol.19 No.5, pp.466 - 474

Published online: 10 May 2004 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article