Siemens is helping the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) use real-time data for analytics and decision making at its hydro-floating solar hybrid project at Sirindhorn Dam in the Ubon Ratchathani province.

As part of its policy of using clean energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, Egat is using smart technology by deploying Siemens’ Sicam microgrid control and photovoltaic plant control to balance the energy mix generated. The project with a solar power generation capacity of 45MW and a hydroelectric capacity of 36MW capable of generating electricity from renewable sources day and night, recently began commercial operation, acclaimed as the first of its kind in Thailand.

The energy ecosystem in Thailand is changing rapidly as technological innovations transform energy management. Thailand has stepped up to increasingly generate electricity with renewable energy by using integrated hybrid technology to meet the needs for decentralisation, decarbonisation, digitalisation and smart electrification. This will enable the country to transition to electric power generation in a new context that requires energy stability and security amid economic, social and environmental changes.

“Egat is committed to grid modernisation by leveraging various technologies and innovations,” said Prasertsak Cherngchawano, Egat deputy governor. “Our main goal is to promote the use of clean energy and reduce carbon emissions to net zero in the future in accordance with the national energy plan. Egat plans to implement similar projects at another nine dams nationwide, with a total capacity of 2725MW and is in consideration to expand an addition of 5000MW. This plan is significant first step towards the true carbon neutrality society.”

Siemens is responsible for installing, testing and commissioning the microgrid control that works together with the photovoltaic plant control systems. The company deployed and activated the controls in October and they have been in commercial operation since. In addition, Siemens is installing Deop cloud-based software for the optimisation of distributed energy resources. Deop ‘s capability to present real-time hybrid power distribution data on a dashboard helps Egat manage power distribution more efficiently.

“Siemens Thailand is excited to work with Egat for the hydro-floating solar hybrid project,” said Suwannee Singluedej, CEO of Siemens Thailand. “As a global leader in smart energy management and one of the first companies to announce a commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2030, Siemens is positioned to support Egat. While maximising efficiency in managing electricity generated from the two sources and achieving its goals of reducing carbon emissions, Egat increases the use of clean energy for the benefits of the country, community and general public.”

Singluedej said Siemens’ combination of microgrid control, photovoltaic plant control and Deop enabled Egat’s control centre to use real-time data for analytics and decision making for appropriate energy management, for example, integrating various forms of electricity generation, such as renewable energy from solar panels and hydropower from dams, so as to increase the stability of the power system and cater to growing consumer demand.

The project is the first installation of microgrid control, photovoltaic plant control and Deop in Thailand. With the capabilities of the controllers and the cloud-based Deop software, operators can use a dashboard to monitor important parameters including status of electrical equipment, electric power generation, weather measurement and electric power generation forecast. These can address Egat’s needs for efficiently managing, forecasting and supporting the commercial distribution of large amounts of electricity.