"Anguish for residents as Thailand’s most polluting coal plant gets new lease of life", 1 October 2025

Thailand has announced it will delay the decommissioning of several coal-fired units at the 2,400-megawatt Mae Moh power plant in Lampang province, prompting fears among communities who have dealt with health problems linked to the plant for decades.

The … announcement, made by the National Energy Policy Committee, also undermines pledges by the government to address the swirling air pollution crisis in the country.

Units 8 and 11 of the Mae Moh power plant, in Mae Moh district, were due to be retired at the end of 2025. But now both will remain functioning until 2031, while units 12 and 13 will be refurbished and operate until 2048 — just two years before the entire plant is due to shut down.

… Coal-fired plants like the one in Mae Moh give Thailand access to cheap power, but they’re also responsible for contaminating the air and water with a mix of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxides like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), mercury, lead and other heavy metals, along with dangerous particulates, leading to cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological disorders, as well as cancer and premature death.

… Mae Moh power plant, owned and operated by the state-owned Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), is ranked by Climate Trace as Thailand’s largest CO2 polluting project out of 54 projects assessed across 10 sectors, producing the equivalent of 14.81 million metric tons of CO2 each year over a 20-year Global Warming Potential time frame. That’s more than double the second-worst polluting power plant listed, and more than the emissions produced by both Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang international airports combined…

… Since the Mae Moh plant began running, residents have been locked into a decades-long dispute with EGAT over relocation away from the pollution and compensation for the myriad health issues experienced by those living in the surrounding area…