Thailand set to buy hydropower from China in 2014

Thailand plans to buy 3,000 megawatts of electricity from China to meet the country's increasing demand, Energy Ministry Permanent Secretary Pornchai Rujiprapa said Monday.

The electricity from hydropower plants in southern China will be delivered to Thailand in 2014. A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed by the end of this year, Pornchai said.

The electricity purchase from China is part of the government's power supply plan to meet Thailand's projected growth in electricity demand growth of around 5 percent annually over the next decade.

Thailand also plans to buy a total of 5,000 MW of electricity from hydropower projects in Laos, which will be delivered by 2021, said Pornchai.

Under the current power development plan, Thailand's current 27,789-MW installed capacity will increase by 39,676 MW between 2007 and 2021.