THAI COMMUNITY SWITCHES ON SOLAR

11 April 2002

Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand - Greenpeace today helped the villagers of Bo Nok and Ban Khrut in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan install solar power on two public buildings, to illustrate that the community is serious in its desire for renewable energy for Thailand.

For the past 8 years, people of Prachuap Khiri Khan have opposed plans by US energy company Edison and Thai company Gulf Power to build two coal-fired power stations in the region. The proposed plants are funded by a consortium of US, Japanese, Hong Kong and Thai companies. (See Editors Note below.)

"Thailand does need energy, but we don't want dirty, old fashioned technology dumped on us from the US by Edison," said Greenpeace campaigner Penrapee Noparumpa "We want clean renewable energy that is not going to destroy the climate or the local subsistence livelihoods."

"Installing the solar panels on these community buildings is the first step towards achieving sustainable renewable energy sources here which will eventually include a larger solar programme, biogas and wind sources."

"To make these work they must be given access to the main electricity grid. Then they are a real and viable alternative to the proposed coal fired power stations. The people of Bo Nok and Ban Khrut are not just complaining about the coal-fired plants. They are doing something about achieving truly sustainable and reliable energy supplies," added Noparumpa.

A team of two Greenpeace activists and three workers from Thai Agency Engineering installed solar panels on the roof of a primary school (Ban Nong Pu Lok) and adjacent to a local temple (Thong Chai Thammachak). The panels will provide around two kilowatts of power to each [1] - enough electricity to operate the light and power needs of the buildings.

Earlier this month Penrapee Noparumpa from Thailand travelled to Edison's headquarters in California to protest against the coal-fired power station proposal. In January when the Prime Minister of Thailand visited the site of the proposed coal-fired power plant he was met by 20,000 protestors.

He has promised to decide whether or not to cancel the plants and will announce his decision by the end of this month.

"The Thai government is facing a lot of pressure from rich multinational banks and companies that are backing the power station proposal," said Greenpeace Solar expert, Sven Teske. "But it's time that the wishes of the Thai people were heard. They don't want dirty energy exports from Western companies like Edison from the US who use criminal contracts to dump technology which is unwanted in the North on poorer communities in the South."

In February 2000, the Finnish power company, Fortum, with the backing of the Nordic Investment Bank, pulled out of the controversial projects after pressure from environment and community groups in Europe and Thailand.

Details of the many environmental, social and climate impacts of the project can be found in the Greenpeace report "Edison Out: The Struggle to Stop Coal Fired Power Plants in Bo Nok and Ban Krut, Thailand" at http://www.cleanenergynow.org/cleanenergynow/edison_out.html

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Penrapee Noparumpa +66 1 931 1962;
Sven Teske +49 171 878 0820;
Itterit Prakhamthong +66 1 987 9950
Louise Fraser +31 20 5249 592

[1] The school address: Ban Nong Pu Lok, Bo Nok Ampur Muang, Prachuab Khiri Khan province (PKK.) Installed solar capacity = 1.8 kw. The temple address: Thong Chai Thammachak Temple, Ban Krud, Tambon Thong Chai, Amphur Bangsapan, PKK. Installed solar capacity = 2 kw.