The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) aims to fast-track the development of 14 floating solar farm projects with a combined capacity of 2,656 megawatts across seven of its hydroelectric dams, aligning with Thailand’s newly revised national power development plan (PDP) for 2024. This ambitious plan seeks to increase the share of renewable energy to 51% by 2037, up from 20% in 2023, and to decrease reliance on fossil fuels.
Egat’s ongoing projects include a 45MW floating solar farm at Sirindhorn Dam, operational since December 2021, and a 24MW installation at Ubolratana Dam, launched in March 2024. The three upcoming projects, set to begin next year, will add 348MW of capacity. The largest, with 158MW, is slated for Bhumibol Dam, followed by Srinakarin and Vajiralongkorn Dams, at 140MW and 50MW respectively. Expected to be operational by 2026-2027, these projects carry a development cost of 13 billion baht.
The 2024 PDP mirrors Egat’s previous 2018 PDP goals, targeting 2,725MW from 16 floating solar farms. Although initial plans aimed for 5,000MW capacity, this long-term goal did not secure approval.
