Blue Solar Farm 1 Co., Ltd., a Thai renewable energy company, was one of the 17 firms competitively selected through Thailand's 2017 Small Power Producer Hybrid Firm Power Purchasing Agreement Program, which aims to improve the sustainability of the country's resources through renewable generation initiatives.
Blue Solar seeks to prove that solar plus battery storage projects are a cost-effective way to meet the increasing energy demands of Thailand's growing economy. The proposed project's first phase includes a 42-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant with an integrated 12-MW energy storage system in the Suphan Buri province of central Thailand, approximately 80 miles northwest of Bangkok.
Blue Solar was the only firm that successfully integrated solar and battery energy storage in its design. The project will help demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of battery storage utility projects in Thailand, which is expected to lead to similar projects using this technology.
Blue Solar chose POWER Engineers, Inc., to conduct the feasibility analysis of this project, with financing by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) under the U.S. government's Asia EDGE program. The Asia EDGE program intends to improve consumer access to cost-effective, reliable electricity across the Indo-Pacific region.
With subconsultants Delphos International, ERM, and Customized Energy Solutions (CES), POWER Engineers will develop the technical analyses and energy models while also evaluating the project's environmental and social impact, and provide conceptual designs. It will also help Blue Solar analyze American solar and energy storage technologies that will benefit the project.
"POWER Engineers is proud to support Blue Solar's innovative project," said Matthew Kavanagh, federal global department manager, POWER Engineers. "Our team will help Blue Solar take advantage of advances in storage technology that provide greater grid reliability and deliver immediate returns on investment."
The Small Power Producer Hybrid Firm Power Purchasing Agreement Program introduced a 20-year power purchasing agreement for renewable power projects. Under this program, Thailand expects to add up to 300 MW of electricity generated by plants between 10 MW to 50 MW in size. Each of the approved projects is expected to be completed and fully operational by the end of 2021.
