The government and business sectors are working on a plan to grow energy crops as fuel for electricity generation to protect the world's climate and improve farmers' living conditions.
If successful, the government could save money by reducing subsidies for some agricultural products, while farmers would earn revenue from these crops, said Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on.
Yesterday he signed a memorandum of understanding with Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow as well as representatives from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the Federation of Thai Industries.
They agreed to form a team to study land allocation for energy crops, which can be processed to make biomass and biogas, key renewable resources for power generation.
Fast-growing crops like bamboo, acacia and Napier grass will be prioritised for pilot plantations.
Corn can also be promoted as an energy crop.
Mr Supattanapong said biofuels made from these crops incur electricity generation costs that are slightly higher than those of fossil fuels, but they provide environmental and economic benefits to the country.
Farmers can earn extra income while the government can better manage farmland and promote clean energy at the same time, he said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha earlier announced Thailand aims to achieve a net-zero balance between greenhouse gas emissions and absorption by 2065.
"Thailand is expected to emit greenhouse gases at a peak level nine years from now. Then their amount will be on a decline to the net-zero level," said Mr Supattanapong.
The energy crop plantations give farmers an opportunity to improve their living standards, said Mr Chalermchai.
There are almost 40 million people in the agricultural sector, he said.
This project runs in parallel with the government's "Energy for All" renewable scheme, which encourages businesses and communities to jointly invest in power generation facilities using biomass and biogas as fuels.
A total of 43 companies won bids at an auction to participate in Energy for All, with 16 awarded biomass energy projects and 27 granted the right to operate biogas energy projects, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission.
The projects are scheduled to start operations by 2024.
Power generation capacity under Energy for All's first phase is set at 150 megawatts.
