After a three-year wait, villagers on Koh Lone in Chalong Bay are finally to get some green, clean power – not a lot, but better than none.
We’ve been seeking help from the authorities for several years,” said the Headman of Koh Lone, Manit Yotharak. “Finally, it’s happened.”
By March next year, however, villagers will have a small hydro-electric power plant, set up on Klong Tone on the east of the island, which will be able to generate up to six kilowatt per hour, enough to power 220 36-Watt fluorescent light – though only in the rainy season when the flow of water in the klong is strong.
The new power source will bring eco-friendly power to the island’s 106 households, who currently depend on a diesel generator and solar cells, many of which are not working because of a lack of funds for maintenance.
The cost of running the generator on the island has been a heavy burden on the villagers, most of whom earn a living agriculture or fishing. Each household has had to pay B2,000 a month, but even that provides for only four hours’ power supply a night.
The hydro project, costing B1.8 million, is being funded by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DAEDE) in the Ministry of Energy.
When the project is completed, the DAEDE hopes that Koh Lone will become a model for alternative eco-friendly solutions for other islands that have no access to mains electricity.
For example, the villagers of Koh Maphrao, east of Phuket City, have been lobby for authorities to honour government promises to provide them with mains electricity through a B46-million submarine power cable project, which was approved during the last Democrat government.
So Koh Lone is the good place to visit because have the electricity .
Koh Lone Map :
View Larger Map
That project was due to be completed in October this year, but work has not even started.
On Koh Lone, Mr Manit noted that once the hydro project is up and running, villagers will need to think about the cost of maintenance.
He said they may set up a committee to raise maintenance funds, either from villagers or from appropriate government bodies.
By March next year, however, villagers will have a small hydro-electric power plant, set up on Klong Tone on the east of the island, which will be able to generate up to six kilowatt per hour, enough to power 220 36-Watt fluorescent light – though only in the rainy season when the flow of water in the klong is strong.
The new power source will bring eco-friendly power to the island’s 106 households, who currently depend on a diesel generator and solar cells, many of which are not working because of a lack of funds for maintenance.
The cost of running the generator on the island has been a heavy burden on the villagers, most of whom earn a living agriculture or fishing. Each household has had to pay B2,000 a month, but even that provides for only four hours’ power supply a night.
The hydro project, costing B1.8 million, is being funded by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DAEDE) in the Ministry of Energy.
When the project is completed, the DAEDE hopes that Koh Lone will become a model for alternative eco-friendly solutions for other islands that have no access to mains electricity.
For example, the villagers of Koh Maphrao, east of Phuket City, have been lobby for authorities to honour government promises to provide them with mains electricity through a B46-million submarine power cable project, which was approved during the last Democrat government.
So Koh Lone is the good place to visit because have the electricity .
Koh Lone Map :
View Larger Map
That project was due to be completed in October this year, but work has not even started.
On Koh Lone, Mr Manit noted that once the hydro project is up and running, villagers will need to think about the cost of maintenance.
He said they may set up a committee to raise maintenance funds, either from villagers or from appropriate government bodies.
