Biodiversity
CHALLENGES
In December 2022, during Part Two of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15), Thailand declared its intent along with the global community to engage in sustainable biodiversity conservation, restoration, and utilization alongside economic development, placing emphasis on bilateral and multilateral cooperation across all sectors to support financial mechanisms, technologies, capability enrichment, which will enhance the quality of life and give the global community a robust natural environment by 2050. As a result of the conference, the UN is also likely to require all private organizations across the world to compile nature-related financial reports based on the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD) as well as issue requirements for business operations and other international sustainability indices. In Thailand, it is likely that the government sector will push to alter requirements and policies related to operations that affect biodiversity and formulate biodiversity management plans to effectively expand protected areas or areas with biodiversity protection measures in place. These efforts can have a direct impact on the business sector, which will need to adjust and realign its operations to such biodiversity protection and conservation policies. As such, awareness and adjustment in response to the policy change will play a vital role for CKPower.
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES
Biodiversity Management
In line with its vision to become a leading electricity producer in Thailand and Southeast Asia that operates efficiently on the basis on environmental responsibility and strives to promote biodiversity in order to sustainably preserve and pass on natural resources to posterity, CKPower has established a Biodiversity Management Policy to serve as guidelines for uniform practice across the organization. The core principle of the policy is to strictly adhere to compliance with biodiversity laws and regulations, promote the utilization of innovation and technology in business operations, communication and awareness- raising among employees at all levels and stakeholders throughout the supply chain. Biodiversity preservation and restoration projects have been initiated to sustain the ecosystem services through the community engagement.
Target
Long-term targets
Management Guidelines
 |
Formulate a biodiversity management policy to define the operational guidelines and scope, declare CKPower’s intent to prioritize the matter and demonstrate its recognition of the roles and responsibilities to protect the environment and biodiversity in its operations. |
 |
To apply a mitigation hierarchy to achieve a balance between biodiversity and the Company’s electricity production business under its management throughout its years in operation across the process, from design and construction to the management of all sites of operation.
|
 |
Study the environmental impact analysis report of each power plant under CKPower, compiled in compliance with the requirements issued by relevant regulatory agencies for each specific type of power plant. |
 |
Set biodiversity targets to demonstrate CKPower’s commitment to achieving no net loss (NNL) and net zero biodiversity services under the manageable scope. |
 |
Formulate a biodiversity roadmap, encompassing activities such as such as defining the scope, screening areas and species, assessing risks and impacts related to business operations, planning impact prevention and mitigation measures, restoring ecosystems, implementing the roadmap, with measures for monitoring goal achievement put in place and progress reported to internal and external stakeholders. |
 |
Appoint responsible agencies to ensure operational efficiency and continuity at all levels, from management to operations, |
 |
Foster stakeholder engagement and further broaden approaches for continuous development to support and enhance the effectiveness of CKPower’s biodiversity protection projects as well as to support initiatives that enhance the alignment of biodiversity and ecosystem services to the context of local ecosystems and society. |
EXECUTION
CKPower is dedicated to biodiversity preservation and management and has incorporated biodiversity into its sustainability strategies as well as established plans for the assessment of residual impacts resulting from the operation of every plant under its management as well as every new project and joint venture. These assessments aim to define suitable management guidelines for the prevention and mitigation of impacts on biodiversity and promote the preservation and restoration of ecological balance across the supply chain, in line with its aspiration to achieve no net loss (NNL) of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2040. To this end, CKPower has announced its biodiversity management commitment and policy as well as developed a biodiversity roadmap to demonstrate its intention and provide unified enterprise-wide guidelines for the promotion of biodiversity.
CKPower aims to become a leader in environmentally responsible energy production, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the planet and the well-being of local communities.
Biodiversity Impact Assessment
All power plants under CKPower have conducted an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in compliance with legal requirements of relevant regulatory agencies for each type of power plants, such as EIA reports for hydroelectric power plants and cogeneration power plants. These EIA reports demonstrate that none of the power plants and offices controlled and operated by the Company is located in a reserved forest, a world heritage site, or a protected area in Categories I-IV as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The aforementioned EIA reports also set forth measures for preventing and resolving environmental impacts as well as measures for monitoring environmental impacts that the Company is to follow strictly.
In addition, CKPower prescribed a fish species survey prior to the construction of the Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant, carried out by TEAM Consulting Plc. The survey revealed that there were a total of 120 fish species, most of which belonged to the Least Concerned (LC) category according to the IUCN Red List, an inventory of the conservation status of biological species classified by the level at which they are threatened by extinction, human activity, and natural disasters.
Hemimyzon papilio
Trichopodus microlepis
Hypsibarbus vernayi
Pao cambodgiensis
Paralaubuca barroni
Poropuntius laoensis
CKPower has planned to carried out additional spatial and species-based biodiversity surveys in 2023-2024 to cover all powe plants under the management of the Company.
For additional information on environmental impact assessment reports, click here:
Environmental Impact Assessment Reports
Biodiversity Roadmap
In 2022, CKPower developed Biodiversity Roadmap Phase 1 spanning a five-year period from 2022-2026 in pursuit of its goal to achieve no net loss of biodiversity and ecosystems by 2040. The roadmap includes the following
Hybrid Fish Passing and Fish Locks System in Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant
CKPower operated the Hybrid Fish Passing and Fish Locks System which designed to protect the Mekong River aquatic biodiversity in association with the Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant. The Xayaburi HPP is a 1,285 MW power plant located on the Mekong River between Xayaburi and Luang Prabang in Lao PDR with an operational area of 564,000 hectares. During the design and construction phases, the Company conducted studies to ensure the facilities would be suitable for the local fish species and assessed the extinction risk of marine species based on the IUCN Red List before launching the operation of the facilities.
The Hybrid Fish Passing and Fish Locks System at the Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant comprises of a vertical-slot fishway and large fish locks with the size of 18 meters in width and 16 meters deep at the deepest part. The design of the facilities has been tailored specifically to the sizes and behavior of the fish in the Mekong River, which usually migrate upstream during the breeding and spawning season, in order to preserve the diversity of the fish species and their life cycles. As such, the facilities have enabled the Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant to operate while also maintaining the natural balance of the Mekong River Basin.
CKPower has implemented the Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tag System to study fish behavior in association with the fish passage facilities. The Hydroacoustic Cameras (ARIS) is Utilized to track fish migration patterns and movements passing the power plant 24 hours. Since the beginning of its operation in 2019, the multi-system fish passage facilities has shown successfully facilitatation to fish passing over the structure as designed and over 110 species have found to migrate upstream safely. As such, the multi-system fish passage facilities have enabled CKPower to meet its power production target without impacting fish migration.
To study the suitability of the multi-system fish passage facilities and track their efficiency, CKPower has formed partnerships with the following:
- Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
- Charles Sturt University, Australia
- Living Aquatic ResourcesResearch of Lao (LARReC)
- National University of Lao (NUOL)
CKPower actively disseminates knowledge and fosters cooperation with communities around its power plant to preserve the life cycle and biodiversity of the fish of all species and physical characteristics in the Mekong river, as well as their migration pattern. The Company has also educated them on the utilization of the passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag system so as to foster an understanding of the system used to track the migration pattern of the fish. In 2022, CKPower conducted such educational and community engagement activities in a total of 40 communities in the vicinity of its power plant.
