Thailand floats hydro-solar projects for its dams as fossil fuel supplement

Thailand is close to completing one the world’s biggest floating hydro-solar hybrid projects on the surface of a dam, a step toward boosting renewable energy production after years of criticism for reliance on fossil fuels.

About 144,417 solar panels are being installed on a reservoir in the northeast province of Ubon Ratchathani, where workers are completing the last of seven solar farms covering 300 acres (121 hectares) of water.

The state-run Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is touting the pilot project as one of the world’s largest hybrid hydro-solar power ventures and aims to replicate it at eight more dams over the next 16 years.

“When all the projects are completed in every dam, we will have total capacity to generate 2,725 megawatts,” project head Chanin Saleechan said.

Thailand has long relied on coal for power, but plans for new coal-fired projects have been…