Part 7: Thai Wind Farm in Australia

Australian government has been supporting the development of renewable power plants by setting a goal to have renewable power plants about 20% of national electricity generation in 2020. As the geography of Australia encompasses the oceans, the country has an average wind speed of 7-8 meters per second which is higher than Thailand’s about 1.5 – 2 times. So, this area is suitable for developing renewable power plant projects especially wind power plant projects.

EGCO Group, Thailand’s first Independent Power Producer, has invested and developed renewable power plant project in Australia since 2013 by acquiring 100% in a wind power plant named “Boco Rock Wind Farm” with a long term Power Purchase Agreement.This is a brownfield project development which means having the EIA approved land for the power plant construction. EGCO Group has been responsible for all management such as financing, contracting and constructing.

Boco Rock Wind Farm has a total installed capacity of 113 MW located in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It comprises 58 units of 1.7 MW wind turbines and 9 units of 1.6 MW wind turbines and entered into a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Energy Australia Pty Ltd. The Wind Farm took 17 months to complete the construction and has started its commercial operation since November 2014, earlier than scheduled around 2 months.

The development and management of wind power plants both in Thailand and Australia is quite similar but the wind speed in Australia is higher and more constant than in Thailand. That’s why, Australia has potential to develop large-scale wind power plant project which can generate electricity reliably and constantly, compared to Thailand.

Boco Rock Wind Farm is a good example of overseas renewable power plant project development reflecting potential and capability of Thai electricity generating company in acquiring, developing and managing electricity generation business in Asia Pacific regional leve