Global warming and climate change pose a big problem to countries all over the world.
Both are caused by the emission of greenhouse gases that occurred naturally and through human activities.
Wind turbines produce clean, renewable energy by harnessing a natural occurrence, but unfortunately due to Thailand’s terrain and low wind speed this form of electricity is unstable.
However, the new Wind-Hydrogen hybrid system offers a solution. It stores energy in hydrogen, which allows wind turbines to supply electricity to the grid in a stable manner.
The Lamtakong Wind Turbine Project is the first Wind-Hydrogen Hybrid power generation system in Asia.
According to Phirun Saiyasitpanich, the Secretary General, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, from the recent COP26 conference held in Glasgow, United Kingdom in November 2021, every country attending focused on the conference’s main theme of setting more challenging targets in reducing greenhouse gas emission.
They wanted to know, how to achieve carbon neutrality faster and realise net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2065.
It has prompted attending participants such as Thailand, as well as, other countries around the world to announce their policies to enhance cooperation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha announced Thailand’s goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065.
Talks were also on raising the Phase 1 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2030 from 20% to 25% and 30% to 40%.
This will also be an important pathway to decarbonize the energy, transportation, industrial, agriculture, as well as, waste management sectors.
As well as, all of the wind energy projects, including the Lamtakong Power Plant, which is considered an important project within the scope of renewable energy providing an alternative energy that will help promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
As it can assist in decarbonizing the energy production sector that currently relies on fossils fuel, whether it is coal, or natural gas.
It directly affects the health of the country’s population, whether it is nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, or even PM2.5 particulate pollutants, all of which will also be eliminated.
As for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, it will be an additional part that will make the development of clean energy even more interesting.
Meanwhile, Panu Suwicharcherdchoo the engineer at the Hydro Power Plant Maintenance Department said the Lamtakong Jolabha Vadhana Power Plant, is tasked with wind turbines and the hydrogen hybrid systems as well.
Solar cells are unable to produce electricity at night and likewise, the lack of wind will render wind turbines useless.
One alternative option is to store the energy.
“We can produce hydrogen and store it in a storage system by utilizing wind energy as the source of the hydrogen storage system.
Phase 1 of the Wind Turbine, installed and has been supplying power to the system since 2009.
At that time, the system consisted of 2 units, each producing 1.25 megawatts.
It yielded satisfactory results and was able to reduce energy consumption from fossil fuel to a considerable level.
As the project fulfilled the established objectives, further studies were conducted and extended to the second phase of the wind turbines.
Phase 2 of the wind turbines expanded to 12 units, each producing 2 megawatts per unit, and yielded a total of 24 megawatts.
Annual output could reduce carbon dioxide by appoximantely 25,000 tons each year, and was able to sustain the entire Khao Yai Thiang community.
Renewable energy is clean. It is not only beneficial to a country but also the key to saving our environment. We are turning us to a sustainable co-existance with nature.
