Thailand takes a giant solar step

Natural Energy Development (NED), is a partnership of local and foreign financial institutions teamed up with the manufacturer Sharp Corporation. Together they are preparing to develop the largest solar plant to date in Thailand.

The project is a 73MW solar plant in the Lopburi province (about 2 hours from Bangkok). The initial phase will start at 8MW and additional capacity will come on line in monthly phases until full capacity is reached in 2013.

The Asian Development Bank has loaned up to US$70 million, and the Kasikorn Bank PCL, Bangkok Bank PCL and Siam Commercial Bank PCL have provided an additional US$98 million). In addition, all of the banks have promised another US$39 million for the 11 MW second phase expansion.

NED has entered into a power purchase agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for purchasing 55 MW from the commercial operation date. When fully operational, the project is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 1.3 million tonnes over its life time, and reduce fossil fuel imports by more than 35,000 tonnes per year. But this isn't the only large project in the works in Thailand, and when they all come on line- Thailand is poised to be a new leader in solar. Read more about the NED project and the others in the works in Jeremy Wilcox's article Thailand Joins the Solar Fast Lane.