Aerial Photograph taken on Dec. eight, 2022 exhibits the floating photo voltaic farm on the Sirindhorn dam in Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
With a mean web vitality output of practically 90 million kwh per 12 months, the hydro-floating photo voltaic undertaking on the Sirindhorn Dam in northeastern Thailand has achieved its aim of offering low-cost, extremely steady, eco-friendly vitality, stated an official.
BANGKOK, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) — Natthamon, an beginner vacationer information, is aware of higher that a inexperienced energy plant can absolutely deliver way more than inexperienced vitality to her hometown in Thailand.
“In the course of the peak of Songkran Competition, the location obtained 5,000 to six,000 guests per day,” stated Natthamon, a neighborhood woman working on the newly constructed Sirindhorn dam attraction.
The 24-year-old, who has labored right here because it opened, guides visiting vacationers by way of the operate and building strategy of the floating photo voltaic farm.
In December, the solar nonetheless shines brightly in Thailand. Looking from the shore, an unlimited array of photo voltaic panels, floating on the reservoir, are working continuous to transform daylight into clear electrical energy for 1000’s of households within the nation.
Simply because the Electrical energy Producing Authority of Thailand (EGAT) envisioned initially, the hydro-floating photo voltaic undertaking, situated within the Sirindhorn Dam in northeastern Thailand, has now turn out to be a well-liked vacationer spot with an exhibition middle and a 400-meter-long “Nature Walkway”, the place guests can benefit from the dam surroundings and think about of the floating panels.
Aerial Photograph taken on Dec. eight, 2022 exhibits the floating photo voltaic farm on the Sirindhorn dam in Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
After a 12 months of business operation, the undertaking has proven its potential to serve not solely as a pilot for vitality transformation, but additionally as a platform to profit sustainable livelihoods.
That includes a mix of two vitality sources, this hybrid undertaking generates electrical energy by way of photo voltaic vitality throughout daytime and hydro energy at nighttime, prolonging the continuous interval of energy technology and decreasing fluctuations in renewable vitality.
With a mean web vitality output of practically 90 million kwh per 12 months, the undertaking has achieved its aim of offering low-cost, extremely steady, eco-friendly vitality, stated Chatchai Mowing, Assistant Governor of Energy Plant Engineering and Building on the EGAT.
Suwita Shotuk, a senior engineer on the EGAT who labored carefully on this undertaking, defined to Xinhua that the photo voltaic panels solely cowl round 1 p.c of all the reservoir space with out affecting the use for agriculture and native fishing business.
“The undertaking design took environmental points into consideration from all dimensions, together with materials choice, which was meant to be secure for aquatic animals,” she stated.
Suwita spoke extremely of their Chinese language associate China Vitality Engineering Group who co-developed the undertaking. “We constructed an excellent relationship with them and we worth their professionalism,” she stated.
Photograph taken on Dec. eight, 2022 exhibits the floating photo voltaic farm on the Sirindhorn dam in Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
Thailand started reorienting its energy sector years in the past and has turned its consideration from fossil gas to renewable vitality. The nation’s tropical location and year-round sunshine make it splendid for photo voltaic vitality growth.
The dominion plans to realize carbon neutrality by 2050 and web zero greenhouse gasoline emissions by 2065. Pushed by the aim, the EGAT’s newest plan is to succeed in a complete hydro-solar generated energy capability of two,725 MW by 2037.
With the success of its first undertaking, the EGAT intends to copy the floating photo voltaic hybrid mannequin for an additional 15 dams, with the second being introduced earlier this 12 months at Ubol Ratana dam.
“The brand new website might be smarter, together with battery storage capabilities in our system,” Chatchai stated, including that sooner or later the EGAT might additionally take into account using AI expertise in such tasks and hopes that this could contribute to the nation’s carbon neutrality aim.■
