Zürcher Nachrichten - Thailand makes green push with floating hydro-solar power project

EUR -
AED 4.057174
AFN 80.158161
ALL 99.191302
AMD 433.739496
ANG 1.977442
AOA 1012.348633
ARS 1188.956163
AUD 1.795027
AWG 1.988258
AZN 1.876518
BAM 1.966585
BBD 2.239903
BDT 134.786772
BGN 1.959544
BHD 0.416367
BIF 3297.796582
BMD 1.104588
BND 1.494154
BOB 7.666043
BRL 6.518395
BSD 1.109334
BTN 96.301429
BWP 15.73695
BYN 3.630545
BYR 21649.922955
BZD 2.228441
CAD 1.554785
CDF 3175.690544
CHF 0.933531
CLF 0.028253
CLP 1084.186556
CNY 8.118776
CNH 8.122907
COP 4752.213318
CRC 570.613928
CUC 1.104588
CUP 29.27158
CVE 110.862971
CZK 25.122774
DJF 197.544454
DKK 7.465423
DOP 69.046799
DZD 147.143289
EGP 56.645811
ERN 16.568819
ETB 146.735429
FJD 2.552868
FKP 0.865302
GBP 0.857983
GEL 3.043143
GGP 0.865302
GHS 17.196388
GIP 0.865302
GMD 78.978827
GNF 9603.494687
GTQ 8.55615
GYD 232.103982
HKD 8.574038
HNL 28.741587
HRK 7.539251
HTG 145.168119
HUF 406.033282
IDR 18655.882207
ILS 4.165611
IMP 0.865302
INR 95.300527
IQD 1453.35751
IRR 46503.150391
ISK 145.099078
JEP 0.865302
JMD 175.405627
JOD 0.783039
JPY 161.563662
KES 143.099572
KGS 96.531155
KHR 4443.429499
KMF 496.511574
KPW 994.135399
KRW 1618.439958
KWD 0.339793
KYD 0.924571
KZT 575.918517
LAK 24031.579142
LBP 98873.505482
LKR 333.948455
LRD 221.866701
LSL 21.878591
LTL 3.261561
LVL 0.668155
LYD 6.149447
MAD 10.549102
MDL 19.691818
MGA 5142.084421
MKD 61.544912
MMK 2319.09138
MNT 3881.786455
MOP 8.866949
MRU 43.953463
MUR 49.815061
MVR 17.021812
MWK 1923.706671
MXN 22.552042
MYR 4.938064
MZN 70.584631
NAD 21.87879
NGN 1740.830725
NIO 40.822776
NOK 12.016503
NPR 154.090501
NZD 1.946256
OMR 0.425274
PAB 1.109384
PEN 4.154711
PGK 4.582046
PHP 63.389013
PKR 311.319518
PLN 4.262908
PYG 8877.283967
QAR 4.044314
RON 4.978045
RSD 117.158146
RUB 94.265908
RWF 1571.080741
SAR 4.145918
SBD 9.193766
SCR 15.983396
SDG 663.30415
SEK 11.028062
SGD 1.480164
SHP 0.868033
SLE 25.14015
SLL 23162.657288
SOS 633.9625
SRD 40.806236
STD 22862.739497
SVC 9.707149
SYP 14361.775366
SZL 21.895487
THB 37.822746
TJS 12.052609
TMT 3.877104
TND 3.419645
TOP 2.587052
TRY 41.918667
TTD 7.524128
TWD 36.331552
TZS 2947.863422
UAH 45.810502
UGX 4097.490468
USD 1.104588
UYU 47.556509
UZS 14378.858159
VES 80.928661
VND 28500.577147
VUV 139.194128
WST 3.184242
XAF 659.559302
XAG 0.035748
XAU 0.000356
XCD 2.985204
XDR 0.82028
XOF 659.544293
XPF 119.331742
YER 270.950929
ZAR 21.530903
ZMK 9942.615003
ZMW 31.162778
ZWL 355.676855
  • RBGPF

    60.2700

    60.27

    +100%

  • BCC

    8.5100

    98.44

    +8.64%

  • SCS

    0.8700

    10.61

    +8.2%

  • CMSC

    0.3900

    22.6

    +1.73%

  • BTI

    0.6600

    40.21

    +1.64%

  • CMSD

    0.3700

    22.75

    +1.63%

  • RIO

    3.2900

    55.61

    +5.92%

  • GSK

    0.3500

    34.48

    +1.02%

  • AZN

    1.8600

    66.76

    +2.79%

  • NGG

    2.4700

    65.21

    +3.79%

  • RELX

    3.2300

    48.54

    +6.65%

  • JRI

    0.5200

    11.99

    +4.34%

  • BCE

    0.1300

    21

    +0.62%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    9.3

    +1.08%

  • BP

    1.7900

    27.9

    +6.42%

  • VOD

    0.3900

    8.58

    +4.55%

Thailand makes green push with floating hydro-solar power project
Thailand makes green push with floating hydro-solar power project

Thailand makes green push with floating hydro-solar power project

A vast array of solar panels floats on the shimmering waters of a reservoir in northeast Thailand, symbolising the kingdom's drive towards clean energy as it seeks carbon neutrality by 2050.

Text size:

The immense installation, covering 720,000 square metres of water surface, is a hybrid system that converts sunlight to electricity by day and generates hydropower at night.

Touted by the authorities as the "world's largest floating hydro-solar farm", the Sirindhorn dam project in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani is the first of 15 such farms Thailand plans to build by 2037.

The kingdom is stepping up efforts to wean itself off fossil fuels, and at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow last year, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha set the target of carbon neutrality by 2050 followed by a net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2065.

The Sirindhorn dam farm -- which began operations last October -- has more than 144,000 solar cells, covering the same area as 70 football pitches, and can generate 45 MW of electricity.

"We can claim that through 45 megawatts combined with hydropower and energy management system for solar and hydro powers, this is the first and biggest project in the world," Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) deputy governor Prasertsak Cherngchawano told AFP.

The hybrid energy project aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 47,000 tonnes per year and to support Thailand's push toward generating 30 percent of its energy from renewables by 2037, according to EGAT.

- Green shift -

But hitting these targets will require a major revamp of power generation.

Thailand still relies heavily on fossil fuel, with 55 percent of power derived from natural gas as of October last year, compared with 11 percent from renewables and hydropower, according to the Energy Policy and Planning Office, a department of the ministry of energy.

EGAT plans to gradually install floating hydro-solar farms in 15 more dams across Thailand by 2037, with a total power generation capacity of 2,725 MW.

The $35 million Sirindhorn project took nearly two years to build -- including Covid-19 hold-ups caused by delays to solar panel deliveries and technicians falling sick.

Most of the electricity generated by the floating hydro-solar farm goes to the provincial electricity authority, which distributes power to homes and businesses in provinces in the lower northeastern region of Thailand.

- Tourism potential -

As well as generating power, officials hope the giant solar farm will also prove a draw for tourists.

A 415-metre (1,360-foot) long "Nature Walkway" shaped like a sunray has been installed to give panoramic views of the reservoir and floating solar cells.

"When I learned that this dam has the world's biggest hydro-solar farm, I knew it's worth seeing with my own eyes," tourist Duangrat Meesit, 46, told AFP.

Some locals have reservations about the floating hydro-solar farm, with fishermen complaining they have been forced to change where they cast their nets.

"The number of fish caught has reduced, so we have less income," village headman Thongphon Mobmai, 64, told AFP.

"But locals have to accept this mandate for community development envisioned by the state."

But the electricity generating authority insists the project will not affect agriculture, fishing or other community activities.

"We've used only 0.2 to 0.3 percent of the dam's surface area. People can make use of lands for agriculture, residency, and other purposes," said EGAT's Prasertsak.

A.Weber--NZN