In the rolling hills of northeastern Thailand, 32 white wind turbines, some 120 meters high, are scattered, their huge blades turning slowly against the wind. It is part of a wind farm project operated by a Chinese company in Thailand. The project is developed by EGCO, a major new energy enterprise under the Electric Power Board of Thailand, and China Goldwind Technology provides wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 80 megawatts.
Wang Chunsheng, who has been working in Thailand for 6 years and is now the country service manager of Goldwind Thailand, said that since the project was officially connected to the grid in December 2016, there has not been a single safety accident, and the operation reliability of the unit is high. Despite its small market share, Goldwind has built its brand in Thailand with its excellent quality and service, and Chinese-designed wind turbines have taken root in Thailand.
Thailand's wind conditions are not very superior, the overall wind speed is slow, so whether to maximize the efficiency of the fan is the focus of the Thai side's technical investigation. Wang Chunsheng said the project is the first time that Goldwind's self-developed flexible pylons have been used in batches overseas. "The flexible pylons are designed for low and medium wind speeds to improve the utilization of wind energy, while maximizing the operation of equipment when the power grid fluctuates due to the weak situation in Thailand."
At current levels of use, Thailand's existing oil and gas resources will run dry within the next five years, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. As a result, the government has been aggressively planning an energy transition in recent years, proposing to increase the share of renewable energy in the country's total energy consumption to 30% by 2036, nearly double the 2015 level.
Thailand currently has about 1.5 gigawatts of installed wind power capacity, and the government plans to add 1.5 gigawatts by the end of 2030. 'This presents a major opportunity for Goldwind to expand overseas,' Mr. Wang said. "Currently, Goldwind has established a good brand reputation through the two projects with EGCO, and the two sides intend to continue the cooperation in other wind power projects."
EGCO's regional general manager praised the Chinese products as "very reliable". Over the past 30 years, China has become the backbone of global scientific and technological development, with an increasing proportion of scientific researchers and engineers in Chinese companies, he said, adding, "In my opinion, the products and technologies of Chinese companies are very competitive compared with those of European and American companies". He believes that working with Chinese companies will enable EGCO to better help Thailand achieve its goal of carbon neutrality.