Thailand’s state-owned utility Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has recently issued a tender for the construction of a hybrid power combining hydro, floating PV and storage.
The Ubol Ratana Dam Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid Project is scheduled to start commercial operation in 2023. It will have a capacity of 24 MW and will be located in the company’s Ubol Ratana Dam in Khok Sung, Ubolratana District, approximately 50 km north of Khon Kaen.
The Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid Project at Ubol Ratana Dam is included in the Thailand Power Development Plan that specifies the development of hydro-floating solar hybrid projects with a total capacity of 2,725 MW. The Ubol Ratana Dam Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid Project will comprise an energy storage system with a high-quality battery to store excess power used to supplement the generation system when this hybrid system switches from using solar power to hydropower or vice versa.
Thailand’s first floating PV plant was inaugurated in February 2021. The country aims to develop its capacity for floating PV installations, particularly on dams. According to Bloomberg, Thailand plans to install nearly 2.7 GW of solar capacity on nine dams by 2037.
(Sources: PV Magazine; Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)
