Thailand plans 14 new floating solar farms to boost renewable energy

[snoop1130]

 

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is pushing forward with the development of 14 new floating solar farm projects as part of its strategic efforts to increase renewable energy production. These projects, with a combined capacity of 2,656 megawatts, are set to be constructed on the reservoirs of seven hydroelectric dams under the latest national power development plan (PDP) for 2024.

 

EGAT operates nine dams and has outlined plans for 16 floating solar farm projects, totalling a capacity of 2,725 megawatts, according to the PDP. To date, two of these projects have been completed at two separate dam locations.

 

The PDP serves as the long-term blueprint established by energy officials to guide the development of the country’s power supply. Covering the period from 2024 to 2037, the plan aims to significantly increase the share of energy derived from renewable resources to 51% by the end of the cycle, rising from 20% at the close of 2023. Concurrently, it seeks to decrease reliance on fossil-fuel-based power plants, reducing their contribution to 45% by 2037, down from 70% last year.

 

Thidade Eiamsai, deputy governor of power plant development and renewable energy at EGAT, stated that the organisation is committed to expediting the development of the 14 floating solar farms. These are to be located at Bhumibol, Sirikit, Srinakarin, Vajiralongkorn, Chulabhorn, Bang Lang, and Rajjaprabha dams.

 

EGAT’s inaugural floating solar farm became operational in December 2021 at the Sirindhorn Dam in Ubon Ratchathani, with a capacity of 45 megawatts. A second facility, generating 24 megawatts, was launched at the Ubolratana Dam in Khon Kaen, beginning operations in March 2024.

 

 

Looking ahead, EGAT plans to commence construction of three additional floating solar farms early next year, with a combined output capacity of 348 megawatts. The most substantial of these projects, boasting a capacity of 158 megawatts, will be developed at Bhumibol Dam.

 

Solar farms

 

Another, with a capacity of 140 megawatts, is slated for Srinakarin Dam, while the third, with a 50 megawatts capacity, will be situated at Vajiralongkorn Dam. The total development cost for these projects is estimated at 13 billion baht (US$374 million), with operations expected to start between 2026 and 2027.

 

Egat is in the process of preparing a proposal for the Energy Ministry’s approval, which will include plans to connect the generated electricity to the national grid.

 

The 2024 PDP maintains the same capacity targets for floating solar farms as were set in the 2018 PDP, comprising a total of 2,725 megawatts from 16 projects across nine dams, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Before the revision of the 2018 PDP, EGAT had envisioned a long-term expansion of its floating solar farm capacity to approximately 5,000 megawatts over the subsequent two decades. However, this ambitious plan did not receive the necessary approval to proceed.

 

By Bright Choomanee

Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-11-13

 

 

[hotchilli]

Better than those useless wind farms they tried

[jcmj]

Great idea, but very expensive and probably no warranty or maintenance involved. They always come up with great ideas but they just don’t seem to think about the maintenance costs afterwards. 

[pattayasan]

Just now, jcmj said:

Great idea, but very expensive and probably no warranty or maintenance involved. They always come up with great ideas but they just don’t seem to think about the maintenance costs afterwards. 

 

Cheapest energy production method in the world. No real estate cost in a small country with a large population.

 

China, Japan, and South Korea are developing large-scale floating solar farms.

[ravip]

10 minutes ago, jcmj said:

Great idea, but very expensive and probably no warranty or maintenance involved. They always come up with great ideas but they just don’t seem to think about the maintenance costs afterwards. 

Did you manage to find out all the details about this project?

[thaibeachlovers]

7 minutes ago, pattayasan said:

 

Cheapest energy production method in the world. No real estate cost in a small country with a large population.

 

China, Japan, and South Korea are developing large-scale floating solar farms.

No part of Thailand I spent time in had a reliable wind strong enough to generate a good f**t.

I suspect the real reason for wind farms in LOS is to generate lotsacash for the usual suspects.

[thaibeachlovers]

12 minutes ago, jcmj said:

Great idea, but very expensive and probably no warranty or maintenance involved. They always come up with great ideas but they just don’t seem to think about the maintenance costs afterwards. 

I don't think there is a Thai word for "maintenance".

[Yagoda]

Another way to steal money

[ElwoodP]

Book advert removed, please contact Forum Support or Admin and get permission before advertising any product on AN. Unauthorized attempts will ultimately result in account closure.

@WDSmart

[john donson]

maybe the heat will release lots of micro plastics in the water... we all know how healthy that is, right

[Xonax]

A positive side effect to these floating solar farms is, that the massive solar panels will reduce evaporation of water in the dams.

[WDSmart]

There is no such thing as "renewable" or "green" energy. Those are just marketing terms. All technology, especially "energy-creating" technology, pollutes and costs more energy than it ever makes available for human use. No technology "creates" energy; it just harvests existing energy from one source, usually converts it, and then makes it available for human use in another source. Good examples of these are both solar and wind-powered energy technologies. 

[pattayasan]

32 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

There is no such thing as "renewable" or "green" energy. Those are just marketing terms. All technology, especially "energy-creating" technology, pollutes and costs more energy than it ever makes available for human use. No technology "creates" energy; it just harvests existing energy from one source, usually converts it, and then makes it available for human use in another source. Good examples of these are both solar and wind-powered energy technologies. 

 

Solar, wind, uranium and coal don't create energy, they release it. While it takes energy to produce solar cells and windmills, the ROI must be in favor of the ergs out / ergs in ratio. That's the case for every method of energy "production" ever devised by man.

[Eric Loh]

38 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

There is no such thing as "renewable" or "green" energy. Those are just marketing terms. All technology, especially "energy-creating" technology, pollutes and costs more energy than it ever makes available for human use. No technology "creates" energy; it just harvests existing energy from one source, usually converts it, and then makes it available for human use in another source. Good examples of these are both solar and wind-powered energy technologies. 

Renewable energy and green energy are technical terms; not marketing term. It refers to energy from natural source in a way that doesn't harm the environment. 

[MalcolmB]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't think there is a Thai word for "maintenance".

I didn’t think you can speak Thai. 
 

You are just making things up Tugger.

[WDSmart]

1 hour ago, pattayasan said:

 

Solar, wind, uranium and coal don't create energy, they release it. While it takes energy to produce solar cells and windmills, the ROI must be in favor of the ergs out / ergs in ratio. That's the case for every method of energy "production" ever devised by man.

You're correct, except the ergs out /ergs in always show a net "loss" of ergs. These ergs are called "lost' because they are unusable by humans and are called "pollution." Most of them are egrs in the form of heat. 

[WDSmart]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Renewable energy and green energy are technical terms; not marketing term. It refers to energy from natural source in a way that doesn't harm the environment. 

There are no forms of energy that we harvest from any source that does not harm the environment. All technology harms the environment.

[ravip]

2 hours ago, Xonax said:

A positive side effect to these floating solar farms is, that the massive solar panels will reduce evaporation of water in the dams.

 

2 hours ago, john donson said:

maybe the heat will release lots of micro plastics in the water... we all know how healthy that is, right

 

32 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

There are no forms of energy that we harvest from any source that does not harm the environment. All technology harms the environment.

Maybe more information is available from these projects - 3 Largest Floating Solar Farms in the United States in 2022 | YSG Solar - they should have enough experience?

[Eric Loh]

54 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

There are no forms of energy that we harvest from any source that does not harm the environment. All technology harms the environment.

Let's limit ourselves to the drive towards renewable energies to reduce greenhouse gases from fossil fuels. 

[Emdog]

The clever ones will find a way to burn off the stubble from those solar farms. Burning off is a tradition, and they won't let a bit of water stand in the way of choking the population