German renewable energy specialist juwi has started to construct five PV plants in Thailand with a total capacity of 48MW.
The EPC contract was awarded to juwi on 14 December 2012 by the project investor Soleq Solar Thailand. The company will also be responsible for the solar parks’ operational management.
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The solar parks, which are located in the Thai provinces of Kamphaeng Phet in the northwest and Ubon Ratchathani in the east, will be equipped with comprehensive flood protection systems. According to juwi, such extraordinary weather events need to be considered when planning solar farms.
“Climate change presents us with special challenges. Therefore the specialist for renewable energies, its Thai construction partner and the investor conducted and analysed hydrological studies for each location to implement protection also for extraordinary weather events. The solar farms are equipped with trenches, dykes, water retention basins and pumping stations. Dykes protect the system from external flooding. If it rains heavily and water accumulates in the area of the solar parks, the water will be drained by the installed pumping systems. The solar power systems will be able to cope with all kinds of weather conditions”, explained Amiram Roth-Deblon, Regional Director Asia Pacific of juwi.
The solar parks will cover a total area of 314,667 square meters and will produce 70.4 million kWh of electricity a year which is said to be enough to supply 30 000 Thai households. Electricity will be fed into the local grid. The plants are slated to connect to the grid between July and September 2013.
Meanwhile, in India, juwi has completed two PV systems in Rajasthan with its business partner Green Infra. The plants have a combined capacity of 26MW, of which 17MW has been connected to the grid.
The plants have been built on a former converted military site and have a combined projected annual output of 46.5 million kWh.