Minister urges Thais to use more alternative energy

Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul, who inaugurated a 300,000-liter per day crude palm oil biodiesel plant in Rayong Province, encouraged Thai people to use more alternative energies and help conserve energy to prevent energy shortages. Wannarat said that Thailand was promoting alternative energy production to reduce crude oil imports. He also stressed the nation’s potential to produce alternative energies as it had plenty of energy crops for the production of both ethanol and biodiesel. The minister said he believed that alternative energy development and energy conservation could help boost Thailand’s energy security, with cooperation from the people. (June 15, 2009)