Thailand's state-run power utility EGAT (Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand) has announced plans to build 16 floating solar parks with a combined capacity of more than 2.7 GW at 9 of its hydropower dam reservoirs by 2037. Bids for the projects are set to start in two months and will also be open to international companies.
This programme represents an ambitious objective on floating solar, which tends to be more expensive than the more common ground-mounted units due to the need for floats, moorings, and more resilient electrical components. The cost of solar equipment is decreasing and EGAT wants to seize the opportunity to develop floating projects at its existing hydropower reservoirs. This will also enable the utility to spend less on tying the infrastructure to the power grid and improve the overall output of the hydropower plants. In a later phase, EGAT plans to deploy lithium-ion batteries at the same locations to store the electricity produced by the floating solar plants.
In case EGAT completes the proposed projects, floating solar could account for 10% of the domestic power generation capacity in 2037. They would contribute to Thailand's nationwide objective of sourcing 27% of its power generation capacity from renewable sources.
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