User:Tnb78/Renewable energy in Thailand

Renewable energy accounts for nearly 23% of the total energy installed capacity in Thailand. Most of this renewable energy is produced domestically. Thailand’s agriculture and economy are largely susceptible to the effects of climate change, relying heavily on rice production [8]. Climate change also causes prolonged droughts, violent flooding and numerous health problems in the country. In 2019, the country’s total renewable energy installed capacity made up more than 60% of the total capacity of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

Policy & Goals [Rhea Mehta]
Thailand currently generates 12 percent of its energy from renewable energy, and the government aims to increase that by 2036 to 37 percent. Thailand is a major rice exporter affected by the increase in sea level due to climate change. Some agricultural land is vulnerable to flooding, and some lands are too saline for crops to grow. [8]

Hydro Energy [Tanush Bahl]
In 2016, hydropower accounted for 7% of Thailand’s total renewable energy production, compared to 5% from solar power and 1% from wind. [12].

Thailand currently has 26 hydroelectric dams in operation today, generating around 3.7GW of electricity annually. In addition, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand plans to build eight solar farms that float by the dams and generate up to 1 GW of electricity each year. [10, 11].

Solar Power [Rhea Mehta]
Thailand has access to year-round solar radiation, due to which companies like the Solar Power Company (SPC) planned to install 34 solar plants in 2012, and the corporation Natural Energy Development (NED) started the project of building the biggest solar plant funded by both local and financial institutions. Thailand is rapidly moving towards achieving its solar power installation target of 2030, which can lead to renewable energy cost reduction and increasing investment.

In 2019, a construction company started installing floating solar farms aimed to be set up on eight dams, starting with the Sirindhorn Dam. This is the first part of the solar project started by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), a state-run association.[10]

Wind Power [Lynn Nguyen]
According to the Global Wind Energy Council, Thailand is one of the two Asian countries who worked on adding twice the amount of their current wind power installation from the year 2012 to 2013.

During the Thailand Wind Energy Roundtable in 2019, the Thailand Wind Energy Association, Global Wind Energy Council, and United States Agency for International Development created a plan for Thailand to increase their wind power [9]. Thailand had 1.5 GW of wind power and that brought in $3 billion in investment for wind energy. Plans included increasing their wind power by at least 7 GW which would double the investment and create employment in Thailand.

Biomass [Melissa Shun]
Out of all renewable energy sources in Thailand, biomass energy produces up to 60.7% of the country’s total electricity, 98% of its thermal energy, and nearly 100% of its transportation fuels [14]. Due to its strong agricultural sector, Thailand’s government promotes the domestic production of biomass energy. 29% of Thailand’s biomass energy is derived from agricultural byproducts such as the husks and stems of corn and rice crops