Global renewable energy developer, service provider and distributor BayWa r.e. today announced the sale of its first Floating Photovoltaic Farm Thailand, to Ubon Bio Ethanol PCL (UBE) – one of Thailand’s leading manufacturers and distributors of processed cassava products.
This follows BayWa r.e.’s recent announcement of its successful partnership with UBE in the completion of the 2.83 MWp Floating Photovoltaic Farm. Operations for the farm began in early 2022 under a Corporate PPA between BayWa r.e. and UBE. The farm has since been purchased by UBE, in the company’s efforts to expand on its suite of renewable energy resources and strengthen its energy transition portfolio.
The project sale has once again solidified both BayWa r.e. and UBE’s position in advocacy and adoption of renewable energy solutions.
Mr. Daniel Gaefke, APAC Director, BayWa r.e. said “The sale of our first floating photovoltaic farm marks yet another milestone for BayWa r.e. in Asia Pacific. The farm is not only our first floating solar project in Thailand, but also our first outside of Europe, and the first in Asia Pacific. We believe that this project serves as a testament to our expertise, and we are delighted at the prospect of more collaborations with organizations and government agencies to benefit our key stakeholders as we transition towards clean energy.”
Located in Ubon Ratchathani, around 615km northeast of Bangkok, the farm sits within the premises of UBE and is made up of 6,900 units of bifacial PV modules and a bespoke Medium Voltage SKID engineered for the floating farms.
The completion of the floating photovoltaic farm also represents BayWa r.e.’s commitment to support renewable energy targets set by governments in the region. In Thailand, renewable energy has been set to make up 30% of the country’s total final energy consumption by 2036, as stated in the Thai Ministry of Energy’s Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) 2015-2036.
Commenting on the purchase, Sureeyot Khowsurat, UBE CEO said “BayWa r.e.’s established name in the renewable space has given us the confidence over the course of the construction and completion of sale. As UBE continues to drive our renewable energy transition forward, we aspire to set an example for organizations to rethink their operations and sustainability roadmaps.”
Apart from Thailand, BayWa r.e. has also completed successful sales projects in Malaysia, Japan, Australia and Korea over the last years. In 2021, BayWa r.e. announced the successful sales of two solar farms – a 5.2 MWp development and 39 MWp solar park – in Malaysia, 35MWp Isohara solar park in Japan and the sale of its first ground-mounted solar park in Korea.
With more upcoming projects in the pipeline in Asia Pacific, BayWa r.e. is ramping up its local presence in each of its markets within the region. Among the recent announcements include the opening of its Wind Projects Representative office in Vietnam which will provide on-ground services for existing and future customers, and help in accelerating awareness for BayWa r.e. as a key renewable energy partner.
