Banpu Public Company Limited
Encyclopedia
Banpu Public Company Limited is a mining and power company in Thailand
. It has coal mining
operations in Thailand, Indonesia
and China
, and coal-fired Power generation
operations in Thailand and China. Banpu plans also to invest in the Hong Sa lignite
mine and power plant project in Laos
.
In Thailand, Banpu operates coal mines in mines in Lampang
and Phayao
provinces, and has stakes in BLCP, a 1,434 MW coal-fired power plant at Map Ta Phut
, and in RATCH, a 3,645 MW power plant in Ratchaburi Province
. It has also has five coal mines in Indonesia and two in China. Banpu agreed to buy Centennial Coal Co Ltd for USD 2 billion on Jul 05, 2010.
The Hongsa Lignite project was founded by and belonged to Thai-Lao Lignite Co., Ltd. and Hongsa Lignite (Lao PDR) Co., Ltd. pursuant to a concession from 1992-1994. In 2005, Banpu entered into a joint venture with TLL and HLL to develop the project but this agreement was terminated in 2006. A UNCITRAL arbitration found that the Lao government illegally terminated TLL's and HLL's concession (awarding it to Banpu) and ordered Laos to pay $57 million in damages plus interest. Laos is refusing to pay the award despite its clear agreement with TLL and HLL, its government policy for international arbitration, and despite participating fully.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It has coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
operations in Thailand, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and coal-fired Power generation
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
operations in Thailand and China. Banpu plans also to invest in the Hong Sa lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
mine and power plant project in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
In Thailand, Banpu operates coal mines in mines in Lampang
Lampang Province
Lampang is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Lamphun and Chiang Mai. The old name of Lampang is Khelang Nakhon.-Geography:...
and Phayao
Phayao Province
Phayao is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Nan, Phrae, Lampang and Chiang Rai. In the north-east it borders Xaignabouli of Laos.- Geography :...
provinces, and has stakes in BLCP, a 1,434 MW coal-fired power plant at Map Ta Phut
Amphoe Mueang Rayong
Mueang Rayong is the capital district of Rayong Province, eastern Thailand.-Geography:Neighboring districts are Ban Chang, Nikhom Phatthana, Ban Khai, Wang Chan and Klaeng...
, and in RATCH, a 3,645 MW power plant in Ratchaburi Province
Ratchaburi Province
Ratchaburi is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom,Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and Phetchaburi...
. It has also has five coal mines in Indonesia and two in China. Banpu agreed to buy Centennial Coal Co Ltd for USD 2 billion on Jul 05, 2010.
The Hongsa Lignite project was founded by and belonged to Thai-Lao Lignite Co., Ltd. and Hongsa Lignite (Lao PDR) Co., Ltd. pursuant to a concession from 1992-1994. In 2005, Banpu entered into a joint venture with TLL and HLL to develop the project but this agreement was terminated in 2006. A UNCITRAL arbitration found that the Lao government illegally terminated TLL's and HLL's concession (awarding it to Banpu) and ordered Laos to pay $57 million in damages plus interest. Laos is refusing to pay the award despite its clear agreement with TLL and HLL, its government policy for international arbitration, and despite participating fully.