The hydro-floating solar project located at the Sirindhorn Dam in northeastern Thailand has become a popular tourist destination, with an exhibition center and a 400-meter-long “Nature Walkway” where visitors can enjoy the scenery and view the floating panels.
After a year of commercial operation, the project has shown its potential to serve not only as a pilot for energy transformation, but also as a platform to benefit sustainable livelihoods.
According to Chatchai Mawong, Assistant Governor of Power Plant Engineering and Construction at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the project has achieved its goal of providing low-cost, highly stable, eco-friendly energy with an average net energy output of nearly 90 million Kilowatt hours (KWh) per year.
Featuring a combination of two energy sources, this hybrid project generates electricity through solar energy during the day and hydro power at night, prolonging the continual period of power generation and reducing fluctuations in renewable energy.
Suwita Shotuk, a senior engineer at the EGAT who worked closely on this project, explained to Xinhua that the solar panels only cover around 1% of the entire reservoir area without affecting its use for agriculture and the local fishing industry.
She noted that the project design “took environmental issues into account from all dimensions, including material selection, which was meant to be safe for aquatic animals.”
Suwita also spoke highly of Chinese partner China Energy Engineering Group, which co-developed the project. “We built a very good relationship with them and we value their professionalism,” she said. (NNT)
 |
 |
 |
