Egat sells off three decommissioned Mae Moh generators

       The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand has sold three decommissioned generators from its Mae Moh power station for 297 million baht.
       Egat sold the 25-year-old generators so it could mine lignite coal located under the units, the assistant director for production at Mae Moh, Polrit Setthakamnerd, said.
       The generators were taken out of service between nine and 10 years ago.
       Thepprathanporn Construction and Recycle Co of Bangkok bought the three generators for 297 million baht on Sept 9 in an electronic auction. Eight other companies meeting Egat's selection criteria participated in the auction.
       Thepprathanporn will remove the plants fromMae Moh compound in 18 months. An Egat source said the com-pany was expected to use the generators at its power plants in Indonesia.
       Egat started building the three generators at the Mae Moh lignite mine in 1975. They began generating and distributing electricity in 1978,1979 and 1981, respectively, Mr Polrit said.
       The first plant was decommissioned on Oct 1,1999, and the other two followed on March 1,2000.
       The three units must be removed by 2011, Mr Polrit said. Mae Moh now has another 10 generating units in operation.
       The power station has been at the heart of an environmental controversy for years.
       Greenpeace in 2004 said the power station released 1.6 million tonnes of sulphur gas into the air every day, making it the largest source of sulphur dioxide in Thailand.