Thai solar firm plans a carbon-free Eastern Economic Corridor

Thailand’s pioneering solar power firm SPCG will invest $760 million to build solar farms in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) with the goal of making it a carbon-free advanced industrial zone. Meanwhile, Bangchak Corporation said it is ready to invest in renewables projects across the region.

The solar farms in the EEC would generate electricity with no carbon emissions, making the area a “clean and low-carbon community,” said Wander Khunchornyakong Juljarern, Chief Executive of SPCG.

The project would bolster energy security, support economic growth and generate income for the company, she added. Construction is scheduled to begin early in 2021 and be completed by 2026. Powering the EEC through solar dovetails with the Kingdom’s goal of sourcing 30 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2036 and reducing its carbon emissions by 20 to 25 percent by 2030 in line with the Paris Climate Accord.

The EEC is a three-province industrial zone just east of Bangkok that is a national showcase for advanced development, higher-technology industries, smart communities and green living.

Also, last week, BCPG, the renewable energy subsidiary of Bangchak Corporation, announced it had marshaled over $1.3 billion to acquire new assets for renewable power generation across Asia over the next five years.

The company will begin its acquisition plans by purchasing four solar power plants in three Thai provinces with a total capacity of 20 megawatts. BCPG is also looking at wind farms in Laos and four solar power farms in Japan as the next steps in its expansion plans.

The firm is also expanding its Nabas Wind Farm in the Philippines, which currently produces 26 megawatts but should generate 40 megawatts by 2023.

Photo courtesy of https://www.spcg.co.th/en/page/18/chairperson