South East Asia’s largest silicon solar panel based power plant, a 44-megawatt project called ‘Sunny Bangchak’, was connected to the mains grid a few weeks ago.
The event represents a major milestone in Thailand’s goal to source 20% of its total energy consumption from renewables by 2022. It’s estimated the 44-megawatt capacity solar power plant could reduce coal importations into the country by about 40,000 tons annually and mitigate 32,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, similar to planting 3,000,000 trees or removing 9,000 cars from the roads
Dr. Zhengrong Shi, founder and executive chairman of Suntech said, “We are excited to collaborate with Bangchak and Solartron to develop and promote solar energy in Thailand. As the largest solar plant in Southeast Asia, Sunny Bangchak is an important milestone in solar energy’s development in the region and demonstrates Suntech and BCP’s commitment in ushering in a clean, sustainable energy future in Thailand.”
The company says it has now delivered more than 25,000,000 Suntech solar panels to over a thousand business customers in more than 80 countries. Solartron Public Company Limited has designed and installed more than 200,000 solar electricity systems in the Southeast Asia region.
In other recent Suntech news, the company announced late last month it will donate up to 300 kilowatts of solar panels to the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which will significantly reduce the hospital’s dependence on expensive diesel generators and firewood.
“With a quarter of the world’s population in developing countries lacking access to basic electricity, it is critical that developed nations and corporations around the world collaborate to solve this issue now,” said Dr. Shi.
The project will be carried out under the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton. CGI members have already pledged more than 2,100 actions in over 180 countries, which when fully funded and implemented, will be valued at USD$69.2 billion.
