Bangkok: The "Energy" sector's GasTech 2026 concluded successfully, fostering collaboration among 17 countries. Mr. Ekanat Promphan, Minister of Energy, announced that the event, hosted by Thailand from September 14-17, 2026, at the BITEC Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok, was a resounding success. It exceeded its target of attracting 50,000 global participants and resulted in business deals totaling over US$16 billion, generating significant economic activity, creating jobs, and stimulating the construction sector. This is expected to boost the Thai economy by more than 15 billion baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Thailand reaffirmed its leadership role in the region's energy sector through bilateral discussions with over 17 countries. These meetings provided opportunities to engage with ministers and high-level executives from key government and private sector energy companies, including those from Singapore, Russia, the United States, Brunei, Oman, and Libya, as well as leading organizations and companies. Key discussion points focused on addressing the energy crisis arising from the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, with Russia, the United States, Brunei, and Libya expressing their willingness to support the provision of new energy sources to ensure Thailand's energy security. Discussions also included promoting regional energy cooperation with Singapore and Brunei through projects such as the submarine power transmission system and the ASEAN Power Grid, as well as pushing Thailand to become an LNG hub. Emphasis was placed on Thailand's readiness to offer green electricity services to attract investment in new industries such as data centers and AI, along with promoting carbon reduction technologies such as small-scale nuclear power plants (SMR), hydrogen, and carbon dioxide suspended solids (CCS).
For concrete collaboration, the event also included the signing of two important Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs): one between the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), under which EGAT received funding from USTDA to conduct a preliminary feasibility study for a Small Reactor Nuclear Power (SMR) project.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Thai Minister of Energy and Mr. Salim bin Nasser bin Saeed Al Ufi, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Sultanate of Oman. The aim is to promote trade, investment, energy project development, knowledge exchange, and the establishment of an Energy Policy Dialogue Mechanism (OTEPD) to drive cooperation and explore joint investment opportunities within the public, private sectors, and in third countries.
Mr. Ekanat said that holding Gastech 2026 in Thailand is a significant event reflecting the global community's confidence in our energy potential. The achievements from business matching, the money circulating within the country, and bilateral discussions with various nations resulting in concrete collaborations, particularly the funding received from the United States for research into cutting-edge clean energy technologies like SMR, and the expansion of knowledge networks with Oman, will be crucial in driving the energy transition, ensuring security, and enhancing Thailand's competitiveness for sustainable growth.