PTT building first smart grid in Eastern Economic Corridor


Thai energy firm PTT will build the first smart power grid in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) at its cutting-edge technical school and has plans to expand the network for commercial use.

PTT will partner with Envision Digital International, a Singapore company, to develop the smart grid. The grid will be powered by Envision Digital’s Internet of Things (IoT) operating system named EnOS. The network will make use of floating solar panels, rooftop solar panels, energy storage systems, and electric charging stations. Envision Digital’s analytics software will manage the system for maximum efficiency.

The smart grid will be located at the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology or VISTEC. A private graduate school founded and funded by PTT, VISTEC is arguably the most advanced technical education facility in Thailand. Its students are selected solely through testing, and tuition is free. No one gains admission through connections, the school says.

It will be the first smart grid in the EEC, which is Thailand’s advanced development zone and center of innovation. The grid is a pilot project, and PTT intends to build more smart grids in other locations across the country.

“Our project at VISTEC is part of our efforts in digital transformation and energy transition,” said Darunporn Kamolpus, Executive Vice President for innovation and digital development at PTT.

“Not only will it contribute to CO2 emission reduction, it will also serve as a sandbox for PTT Group and researchers at VISTEC to do their R&D activities around electricity value chain and smart city development, which we hope can later be applied for commercial uses,” she added.

PTT’s strategic objective for 2020 is a zero percent increase in its emissions growth rate.

Photo courtesy of https://www.vistec.ac.th/about/history.php

http://oaep.diw.go.th/diw_info/category/infographic/page/10