Voith secures equipment supply contract for Thai hydropower plant

Voith has secured a new €50m supply contract from the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand for the extension of the Lam Ta Khong hydropower plant in the country.

The scope of the contract includes the supply of two motor-generators, two 255 MW vertical pump turbines, the automation systems as well as the electrical and mechanical balance-of-plant systems for the hydro project.

Located on the Lam Ta Khong River, a tributary of the Mun River, 200km northeast of the capital city of Bangkok, the plant will have the capacity of 1000MW.

The phase I of the Lam Ta Khong pumped storage station with a total capacity of 500MW was initiated in 1995 and completed in 2001.

The equipment to be supplied for Lam Ta Khong will be produced at Voith Hydro’s manufacturing and engineering facility in Shanghai, China.

Voith Hydro Shanghai president Martin Andrä said: "As a fully localized company in China, Voith Hydro Shanghai is powering most of the large hydropower projects in China with industry-leading equipment, technology and service.

"Our proven track record in China is now also helping drive our expansion into the Southeast Asia, home to some of the world’s largest untapped hydroelectric resources."

Thailand intends to expand renewable energy generation, a move that will reduce the country’s dependency on energy imports.