Chinese wind turbines fuel Thailand's green transformation

In Thailand's northeastern Chaiyaphum province, about 300 km from Bangkok, several 120-meter-high wind turbines tower over picturesque hills while delivering clean energy into the local grid day and night. 

The Chaiyaphum wind farm hosts 32 of China's Goldwind wind turbines with a total capacity of 80 MW and is operated by EGCO, a major energy producer affiliated to the largest state utility Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. 

As one of the regions with the richest wind resources in Thailand, Chaiyaphum province offers great conditions for wind power investments and has drawn some of the world's leading wind turbine makers such as Vestas, Siemens Gamesa and GE. 

Although Goldwind's local market share is small, the company has earned a good reputation due to the quality of customized wind turbines, Wang Chunsheng, Goldwind Thailand service manager, told Xinhua. 

"Specifically designed for low and medium wind speeds that are common in Thailand, our flexible wind towers improve energy utilization while maximizing operation time during grid fluctuations," Wang said. 

Since the wind farm started operations in 2016, there hasn't been a single safety incident, and operation reliability has been high, he added. 

Now, it seems the company has an opportunity to play a more respectable role in Thailand, a nation that has long faced the challenges of increasing energy demand and insufficient local supplies. 

The Thai government has proposed to increase the proportion of renewable energy in total energy consumption to 30 percent by 2036. For wind power alone, Thailand plans to double the current capacities by the end of 2030. 

Based on this roadmap, EGCO has already considered further cooperation with its Chinese partner. 

"Goldwind has proven itself to be a reliable strategic partner in the clean energy sector with state-of-the-art technology and reliable products," said Chaiwut Saengpredekorn, general manager of EGCO's Power Plant Business 3. 

Goldwind is an example of Chinese companies that have been active in Thailand's renewable energy market. The well-known Sino-Thai cooperation projects also include the hydro-floating solar hybrid project at the Sirindhorn Dam, which launched its commercial operation late last year. 

In addition, Chinese carmakers like SAIC, Great Wall Motor and BYD have successively set up factories in Thailand, becoming strong competitors in the country's electric vehicle market.

These activities exemplify how Chinese companies become important puzzle pieces in Thailand's green energy transformations. 

Speaking highly of Chinese technology, Chaiwut said that he believes that Chinese companies are valuable partners and offer competitive products to European and U.S. equivalents.