Pattaya’s Wind Turbine Project on Koh Larn Fizzles Out After Failing to Deliver Power

[webfact]

Pattaya — The wind turbine project to generate renewable power on Koh Larn in Pattaya has reportedly become a waste of resources after critics alleged that the turbines have broken down for a long time and the city lacked enough funding to repair them.

The turbine project, located in Khao Nom Sao mountain near Samae Beach, was initiated back in 2006 with a budget of 95 million baht. It aimed to generate electricity through wind and solar power for 489 households (around 3,000 people) on Koh Larn.

 

Managed by Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, the project promised to save the city from fuel costs and boost tourism. The project involved the construction of a control building, a stingray-shaped tourist attraction building, and 45 wind turbines. The goal was to generate 200 megawatts for the island’s wastewater treatment and lighting systems before feeding the households.

 

However, the project turned sour. Critics said five years after the construction was completed in 2010, the wind turbines ceased functioning and could no longer produce power. 

 

By Aim Tanakorn

PHOTO: Siamrath

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-03-28

 

- Discover how Cigna Insurance can protect you with a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment. For more information on expat health insurance click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe
 

[flyingtlger]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

The turbine project, located in Khao Nom Sao mountain near Samae Beach

No wonder is got cancelled.

That thing looks like a toy.

The modern ones are massive compared to that....

 

[bendejo]

All those poor birds dying of cancer for naught.

 

[Dcheech]

TIT

With proper maintenance the project might have worked. However that is the last thing you can expect here. They couldn't  even keep the free gifted tsunami detection buoy in operation, after 04 because no one would change the batteries. 

[rwill]

Turn them into bungie jumping poles.  The cord could be used to turn a generator while jumping.

[jacko45k]

A lot of money gets wasted on such endeavors......and we have a horrible eyesore as a result that will endure for time like The Waterfront Condo!

[Aussie999]

3 hours ago, bendejo said:

All those poor birds dying of cancer for naught.

 

How would they get cancer...

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The wind turbine project to generate renewable power on Koh Larn in Pattaya has reportedly become a waste of resources after critics alleged that the turbines have broken down for a long time and the city lacked enough funding to repair them.

Remarkable....

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

five years after the construction was completed in 2010, the wind turbines ceased functioning and could no longer produce power.

Sounds similar to the sister-in-laws latest b/f, she moans about him every day.

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

the wind turbines ceased functioning and could no longer produce power. 

Thank you Mr. Obvious.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

No wonder is got cancelled.

That thing looks like a toy.

The modern ones are massive compared to that....

 

Only need 45 - 5MW turbines open space permitting.

Proven Siemens Gamesa technology for onshore wind projects

https://www.siemensgamesa.com/en-int/products-and-services/onshore/wind-turbine-sg-5-0-145 

If placed too close together you'll get array interference - backwash from one row can block winds for some downstream turbines.

[kwan]

Wind Hub - failed !

[Callmeishmael]

You need about 15 kph of wind on a consistent basis in order for wind power to be economical.  There are very few places in Thailand with enough wind to make wind power work.  They should just put solar panels on top of every roof on the island - there is plenty of sunshine here!

[Tropicalevo]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

the turbines have broken down for a long time and the city lacked enough funding to repair them.

Typical all over Thailand.

Large budget for an infrastructure project. Money syphoned into pockets so the project is below spec. Then there is never a maintenance budget afterwards.

Or if there is a budget, it is spent on 'other things'.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

If placed too close together you'll get array interference - backwash from one row can block winds for some downstream turbines.

 

Gonna be interesting when they build enough wind turbines around the world to change weather patterns.  Eventually, they'll be removing enough energy from the atmosphere that there will be unintended consequences, on top of all the birds they kill.

 

[Tropicalevo]

35 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Gonna be interesting when they build enough wind turbines around the world to change weather patterns.  Eventually, they'll be removing enough energy from the atmosphere that there will be unintended consequences, on top of all the birds they kill.

 

Do wind turbines kill birds?

Or do birds die because they fly into them?

 

For example.

Birds die when they fly into glass doors or windows, but no one says that glass doors kill birds.

[Stargeezr]

I also seen a clip where a Texas solar farm was severly damaged after a hail storm

passed over a large part of it and totally destroyed a lot of the solar panels.

  Oh and those large windmills are pretty high maintenance as the blades, and bushings are not that long lasting

and the blades cannot be recycled. Of course we the public do not get great news stories about

this situation. At least Thailand does not have cold weather problems, with frost issues and such.

Not sure how the big windmills operate in high winds as well, or if Thailand has enough windy days

on the plains to make windmills viable.

Just my thoughts.

  

[Guderian]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

the turbines have broken down for a long time and the city lacked enough funding to repair them.

 

 

I'm not surprised with the amount of money they've spent over the last 3 years digging up all the roads and laying new drains.

I'm guessing massive road and drain contracts come with more scope for skimming funds off than repairing a few undersized wind turbines.

[BritScot]

2 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

I also seen a clip where a Texas solar farm was severly damaged after a hail storm

passed over a large part of it and totally destroyed a lot of the solar panels.

  Oh and those large windmills are pretty high maintenance as the blades, and bushings are not that long lasting

and the blades cannot be recycled. Of course we the public do not get great news stories about

this situation. At least Thailand does not have cold weather problems, with frost issues and such.

Not sure how the big windmills operate in high winds as well, or if Thailand has enough windy days

on the plains to make windmills viable.

Just my thoughts.

  

And:

Kill birds as they fly into them.

Recycle them is digging a big hole where it takes hundreds of thousands of years polluting the soil.

Oh and my classic, they have to use a diesel generator to start them but only when the wind is right, to slow can't work, to fast can't work but people are making loads of dosh from governments making them.

[PETERTHEEATER]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

.......It aimed to generate electricity through wind and solar power for 489 households (around 3,000 people) on Koh Larn.

 

And there is where it went wrong. Expecting wind turbines to generate solar power.😀

[PETERTHEEATER]

There is now a company 'recycling' turbine blades by shredding them into fine fibres and selling the product to a construction company which uses it as a filler in concrete mixes.

All that is needed now is a way to recycle concrete......

[impulse]

6 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Do wind turbines kill birds?

Or do birds die because they fly into them?

 

For example.

Birds die when they fly into glass doors or windows, but no one says that glass doors kill birds.

 

Do glass doors and windows move like turbine blades? 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

a budget of 95 million baht. It aimed to generate electricity through wind and solar power for 489 households

 

That is an initial investment of almost 200,000 per household, without maintenance, etc.

How could anyone ever think that makes sense?

 

I guess nobody cared it is made sense. Let's get the money, put something up what looks like turbines, and lets party.

I hope there will be an investigation who spent he money and how. 

[mran66]

Maintenance. 

 

Even university not aware of purpose of that. 

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Do glass doors and windows move like turbine blades? 

 

No, they slide or swing open.

Birds do not see them and birds do not see turbines when they are working.

Turbine blades do not kill birds. They are innocent.

Bird fly into them, just like many other things in this world.

[CygnusX1]

11 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Birds do not see them and birds do not see turbines when they are working.

Turbine blades do not kill birds. They are innocent.

Bird fly into them, just like many other things in this world.

I’m guessing that they see the blades, but the immense size of the blades fools them into thinking that the blades are moving a lot more slowly than they really are. Same as a 747 taking off seems to be moving more slowly than a small aircraft.

[mikebell]

On 3/28/2024 at 2:47 AM, webfact said:

five years after the construction was completed in 2010, the wind turbines ceased functioning and could no longer produce power. 

All for the lack of WD 40.

[jacko45k]

23 hours ago, mikebell said:

All for the lack of WD 40.

Applied at the squeaky stage of deterioration.

[drgoon]

and they were going to be the Hub of Renewable Energy 😐

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/28/2024 at 8:47 AM, webfact said:

However, the project turned sour. Critics said five years after the construction was completed in 2010, the wind turbines ceased functioning and could no longer produce power. 

Would that be because the money for maintenance was stolen, or because there never was any money for maintenance?

 

Seems everything connected to Pattaya officialdom fails. It's a long list of failures.

 

However, do not despair, the money no doubt got into the right pockets, which IMO is the normal reason for public projects in Pattaya.