Siemens to Build Thai Gas-Fired Plant

German turbine-maker Siemens and Japan's Marubeni Corporation have been awarded a contract to deliver a turnkey combined cycle power plant to state-owned utility Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).

The gas-fired power plant that will be located in south Bangkok consists of two units and will feature two H-class gas turbines for the first time in the country, Siemens said January 26. After commissioning in 2019 the power plant with an electrical output of around 1,200 MW is expected to power 1.5 million Thai households. The combined order for Siemens and Marubeni is worth some $550mn.

“The goal of this program is to provide a safe, affordable and environmentally friendly solution for the growing energy demand in the country. Additionally, Thailand is depending more on imported LNG. Therefore, the need of highly efficient power plants is gaining momentum,” Siemens said.

Gas is gradually playing a bigger role in power generation in southeast Asia. Experts project demand for LNG to increase significantly in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines, mainly for power generation. A month ago, BP entered into an agreement to supply Thailand’s state-run PTT with 1 million metric tons of LNG per year for 20 years starting 2017.