Small hydropower in Thailand: Electricity Cost, and Emission Reduction Potentials

Small-scale hydropower electricity generation is an appropriate technology for Thailand. The importance is that it is renewable energy for sustainable development. This study investigates the cases in small hydropower projects located especially in Thailand for the potential of electricity generation and financial feasibility and social benefits in small communities. The co-benefits of renewable energy development replacing fossil energy include annual carbon dioxide reduction. The results from this study found that the production electricity cost varies from $/kWh 0.0106 to $/kWh 0.0890. The social benefits of CO
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reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in hydropower projects in Thailand instead of using electricity generated from the fossil-based national grid. The potential for annual CO
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reductions is varied in each site from 502 to 7,232 tons of CO
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.