Jul 29, 2021
In 2020, The Southern Thailand Wind Power and Battery Energy Storage Project utilized wind power generation to store the excess power in a battery energy storage system.
With a $4.75 million concessional loan from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF),the Southern Thailand Wind Power and Battery Energy Storage Project was the first private sector initiative to meet the risk-related “bankability” challenges of a clean energy innovation project.
For over 12 years, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has championed the importance of unlocking private capital in the fight against climate change, which is greatly impacting the world’s economies and its negative impact is growing each year. Vulnerable communities with fast-growing populations require serious investments from their government and the private sector in order to achieve low carbon, climate resilient economies. In developing countries there is a strong demand for the private sector to take the lead in deploying clean and renewable technology.
The Southern Thailand Wind Power and Battery Energy Storage Project was the first private sector initiative to move forward in Thailand. With a $4.75 million concessional loan from the CTF, which is one of two trust funds comprising CIF, an existing 10-megawatt (MW) wind power plant was paired with a 1.88-megawatt-hour (MWh) pilot battery energy storage system (BESS). The majority of the energy produced by the turbine output goes into the local electrical grid, but with the addition of BESS any excess energy is stockpiled in the storage system.
In late 2018, Thailand’s Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) introduced its Power Development Plan, targeting sourcing approximately 18% of its power from renewable sources.
This project has helped achieve that goal by providing a stable and sustainable energy source. It has also supported economic growth, allocated energy security to communities most in need, and provided more resilience to the electrical grid in Thailand. From the start the estimated benefits have been impressive, including the annual generation of at least 14,870 MWh of electricity and the reduction of 6,364 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Clean technology is an urgent necessity in the combat against climate change and private sector support can push this technology to the forefront. With projects such as The Southern Thailand Wind Power and Battery Energy Storage Project there is definitive proof that these projects benefit communities and countries as they progress toward low carbon, climate resilient economies.
