The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) wants to accelerate the development of 15 planned floating solar farm projects with a total capacity of 2,656 megawatts on the reservoirs of its six hydroelectric dams under the new national power development plan (PDP) of 2024.
Egat has six dams with 17 solar floating farm projects, tallying a combined capacity of 2,725 MW, according to the PDP. Of the 17 projects, two have been completely developed at two dams.
The PDP is the long-term master plan devised by energy authorities to develop the power supply.
The 2024 plan covers the period 2024 to 2037, focusing on boosting the ratio of power from renewable resources to 51% by the end of the plan, up from 20% at the end of 2023. It aims to reduce the supply ratio from fossil-fired power plants to 45% by the end of 2037, from 70% last year.
The development of the 15 new floating solar farms is expected to be carried out and completed between now and 2030, according to Thidade Eiamsai, deputy governor of power plant development and renewable energy at Egat.
He said Egat will accelerate the 15 floating solar farm projects sited at six dams, namely Bhumibol, Srinakarin, Vajiralongkorn, Ubolratana, Nam Pung and Sirindhorn.
Egat's first operational floating solar farm was launched in December 2021 at Sirindhorn Dam in Ubon Ratchathani, with a capacity of 45MW. Its second floating solar farm, which generates 24MW, is located at Ubolratana Dam in Khon Kaen. Its operations commenced in March 2024.
Egat plans to begin the development of three new floating solar farms early next year with a combined capacity of 348MW.
The largest of the three floating solar farms in terms of output, with a capacity of 158MW, is to be developed at Bhumibol Dam, while another one, with a capacity of 140MW, will be developed at Srinakarin Dam. The third, with a capacity of 50MW, will be developed at Vajiralongkorn Dam. The cost of developing all three floating solar farms is 13 billion baht. The solar farms are scheduled to become operational during 2026-2027.
Egat is preparing a proposal to seek the Energy Ministry's approval for this development, as well as connecting the electricity generated to the grid.
Egat's floating solar farms in the 2024 PDP have the same capacity development as seen in the 2018 PDP, comprising 2,725MW in total from 17 projects at six dams.
Before the 2018 PDP was revised, Egat planned long-term development of its floating solar farm capacity to reach roughly 5,000MW over the next two decades, but that plan did not receive approval.