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BANGKOK, Dec 07, 2005 -- AFX News - Asia
Activists from environmental group Greenpeace scaled a giant coal loading crane in Thailand, demanding that Bangkok abandon a power plant and spend more on renewable fuel sources. "This project is a tie-up of international linkages between the coal and power business in the Asia Pacific," Greenpeace Southeast Asia's Energy spokesperson Tara Buakamsri told Agence France-Presse from the plant at Map Ta Phut southeast of the capital. "This coal plant is one of the bad examples of international financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation getting involved in financing such dirty projects." Such institutions should redirect their role to cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy such as solar power, wind power and biomass, plant and animal waste converted into electricity, that are becoming big businesses in Europe and China, he said. Greenpeace protestors from three countries have set up camp outside the plant's main gate and say they will remain until their demands are met. The unfinished plant in Rayong province, about 135 kms southeast of Bangkok, is due to open in mid-2006 and would receive 20 years' worth of coal from Australia's mining giant Rio Tinto, Tara said. Hong Kong-based electricity producer China Light and Power also has a stake in the Thai plant, which if operational would emit 11 mln tonnes of carbon dioxide into the air a year, he said. Officials for Thailand's energy company Banpu Plc, which holds a 50 pct stake in the plant, said they had no comment. China Light and Power, which owns the other 50 pct said in a statement it respected "the different opinions and understand their concern for the environment." Thai energy ministry officials could not be reached for comment. pjl/lh/zr News Provided By |
