Thai Gulf Energy Sues Energy Regulator Over LNG Licence Denial

Thailand’s Gulf Energy Development, one of country’s largest independent power producers, has initiated legal action against the Energy Regulatory Commission for not issuing an LNG trader’s licence to the company, it said in a statement posted on Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) website July 9.

“The company would like to provide notification to the SET that the Central Administrative Court has accepted the case filed and the case is currently being considered by the court. The company will provide updates to the SET when there is progress made in the court’s consideration of the case,” Gulf Energy said.

Gulf Energy had applied for an LNG trader’s license to the ERC in June 2017. However, the application was turned down and subsequently Gulf Energy appealed the decision, but the ERC stood by its initial decision. The company thus filed a case with the Central Administrative Court of Thailand claiming it meets all the requirements and ERC has no legitimate ground to deny the issuance of the license.

The company at present manages a portfolio of gas-fired and renewable power projects that serve both public and private clients in Thailand’s main industrial zones. The company has 17 power projects in operation, including two gas-fired ones under independent power producer (IPP) model, 11 gas-fired ones under small power producer (SPP) model and 4 rooftop solar ones under very small power producer (VSPP) model, and has 11 power projects under construction and development, including two gas-fired IPPs, eight gas-fired SPPs and 1 biomass SPP.