Owned by Bangchak Petroleum Public Company, and integrated by Solartron Public Company, the landmark solar power plant will be one of the plant in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

The 9.43Mw contract comes after Suntech was chosen to provide 34.5Mw of solar panels and technical support for the project's first phase, announced in August 2010.

With groundwork construction underway, the complete 44Mw capacity solar power plant remains on schedule to be grid-connected by late-2011.

According to Suntech, the facility will then generate decades of renewable energy for the booming metropolis and surrounding areas, which will be purchased and distributed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) under long-term power purchase agreements. Altogether, the project will create more than 200 local jobs in Thailand for the facility's development, installation and maintenance.

Located in Bang Pa-In, Ayutthaya, forty kilometers outside Bangkok, the solar project represents a major milestone in Thailand's ambitious goal to meet 20 percent of its total energy consumption with renewable sources by 2022.

Bangchak estimates that the 44Mw capacity solar power plant could annually reduce the need to import about 40,000 tons of coal and mitigate 32,000 tons of CO2 emissions, similar to planting 3,000,000 trees or removing 9,000 cars from the roads.

Upon completion, the clean and quiet solar facility will be open to the community, as an on-site visitor center - featuring an elegant Suntech building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) installation - will invite local schools, residents, and tourists to learn about solar technology.

Andrew Beebe, chief commercial officer of Suntech, said: “This is another strong step forward with Bangchak and Solartron, as we work together to drive the emerging solar industry in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

“With steady economic growth, burgeoning electricity demands, and plenty of excellent sunlight, countries throughout the region stand to benefit both economically and environmentally by harnessing nature's most abundant energy resource.”

Anusorn Sangnimnuan, president of the Bangchak Petroleum, said: “This historic solar project represents the beginning of our fifteen billion Bhat initiative to develop around 140MW of installed solar capacity in Thailand. We are excited about working with Suntech to achieve long-term energy security and to combat climate change, as we strive to become a carbon-neutral company.”

Will the move benefit the firms?

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