As a result, there will be a shortfall of 420 million cubic feet of natural gas a day, which in turn means that the Chana power station in Songkhla, which produces 710 Megawatt of electricity, will have to be taken off the national grid.
At a meeting yesterday (May 28) chaired by Governor Maitri Inthusut, officials heard that the power plant closure will result in a shortfall of energy across the 14 southern Thailand provinces, including Phuket, especially in the peak power use hours from 6:30 to 10pm, Monday to Saturday.
To offset the shortfall the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand will take steps to increase electricity supply to the South from other power stations, from 700 Megawatt to 950 Megawatt.
If demand exceeds that amount, the Provincial Electricity Authority will rotate blackouts from one area to another, though taking care not to affect areas with hospitals, airports, police stations and other security organisations.
During the maintenance period everyone is asked to try to reduce their power use.