PEA board to consider TOR for Samui undersea cable project in March

The PEA board will review the TOR for an 11.23-billion-baht undersea cable project to Koh Samui in March. Set for completion by 2029, the new cables will address power shortages as demand rises. In the meantime, mobile generators will provide an extra 10 MW.

The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) board of directors will be asked in March to approve the terms of reference (TOR) for an 11.23-billion-baht undersea cable project aimed at addressing power shortages on Koh Samui.

Thirawut Wethatham, Deputy PEA Governor, said the TOR would be submitted for board approval in March to initiate the bidding process for the project, allowing construction to begin in June this year.

Thirawut stated that the first cable circuit is scheduled for completion by June 2028, with the second circuit expected to be finished by June 2029.The undersea cables will have a capacity of 230 kV, enabling the transmission of 200 megawatts of electricity from the Khanom power station in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Currently, there are four existing undersea cable circuits with capacities of 115 kV and 33 kV, but they are insufficient to meet the rising power demand on Koh Samui. Additionally, the growing tourism sector has increased electricity consumption, while the ageing cables frequently malfunction, causing three blackouts in recent months.

As a result, the Cabinet has approved the PEA’s plan to install new power cables to supply the popular tourist destination.

Meanwhile, Prasert Sinsukprasert, Permanent Secretary of the Energy Ministry and Chair of the PEA Board, said he visited Koh Samui last week to monitor preparations for the undersea cable project.

Prasert noted that electricity demand on Koh Samui is expected to rise to 200 megawatts this year.

While the new cables are not yet in place, the PEA will borrow five mobile generators from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to produce an additional 10 megawatts of power for Koh Samui, he added.

(2025/02/16-00:00)