Thailand to double clean energy production for EVs: Supattanapong
Thailand will need to boost production of renewable energy by 10 gigawatts to meet demand from electric vehicles (EVs), Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said on Thursday.
Thailand currently has installed renewable energy capacity of over 9GW, or about 14% of its total power mix, according to the ministry’s Department of Alternative Energy Development and Energy.
The country has set a target of one million EVs on the roads by 2025, and 15 million within 10 years as it strives to become a global EV hub.
Supattanapong announced the renewable energy goal as he launched Thailand’s collaboration with the United Nations Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) on Thursday.
He said the collaboration will help Thailand develop a green economy and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, adding the country has already invested 640 billion baht on sustainability, ranging from the community level to SMEs and large industrial projects, including promotion of EV manufacturing and usage.
The government recently issued more incentives including excise tax breaks in a bid to make Thailand a world EV leader, he added.
More than 15,000 EVs have been reserved in Thailand this year, helping boost domestic manufacturing. The government is pushing for EVs to make up 10% of total domestic car manufacturing quickly, Supattanapong said.
“Five EV manufacturing companies have decided to build factories in Thailand while European car brands including Mercedes-Benz and BMW will also invest.”
The boom in EV production and usage in Thailand must be supported by an increase in renewable energy, he added.
He said Thailand would hit its carbon neutrality goal faster thanks to technology, expertise and funding from PAGE.
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