Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Energy Minister Pongsak ruktapongpisal were the guests of honor at the opening ceremony of the West Huay Bong 2 and West Huay Bong 3 wind farms. Located in Dan Khun Tod District and Teparak District in Nakhon Ratchasima province, the two projects have already commenced production and sold electricity to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. The wind farms will enhance the country’s power security, reduce fossil fuel consumption and enable the country to better manage risk related to energy used in electricity generating. Currently, more 90 per cent of fossil fuel is used to produce electricity in Thailand. The Energy Ministry has set a goal of increasing electricity production from alternative energy to 9,201 megawatts by 2021. Out of this, 1,200 megawatts will be produced from wind energy. The success of the wind farm projects clearly reflected the policy achievement.

The “West Huay Bong 2” and “West Huay Bong 3” use wind energy, which is endless and clean energy, for electricity generating. Both projects will supply 350 units of electricity to the grid each year. This enables the country to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel as both projects will help reduce bunker oil import for electricity generating by 96.4 million liters per year or 2,040 million baht per year. In addition, they will help reduce carbon dioxide, which is a major cause of Global Warming, from electricity generating by 270,176 tons per year.

The West “Huay Bong 2 Project” is operated by K.R.Two Company Limited while the “West Huay Bong 3 Project” is operated by First Korat Wind Company Limited. Both projects’ shareholding structure comprises Aeolus Power Company Limited (60%) which is a subsidiary of Wind Energy Holding Company Limited, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company Limited (20%) and Chubu Electric Power Korat BV (20%). The total investment for both projects is 13,053 million baht.

Each project comprises 45 2.3-megawatt wind turbines or 103.5 megawatt nameplate capacity. Each of them has a 25-year non-firm power purchase contract for small power producer (SPP) with EGAT and receives 3.50 baht adder per unit for 10 years from the Power Development Fund, the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The projects have also brought to the villagers a lot of development, especially infrastructure. New roads were built, bringing greater convenience for the villagers to travel and transport their agricultural products to the market. The wind farms also become new visitors’ attraction that generates more income to the community.

For more information, please contact:

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Email: wiwanp@ratch.co.th