Siemens wins first wind turbine order from Thailand

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Thailand's commitment to modernizing its electrical network with a nationwide smart grid took another step forward this week with its order for 90 Siemens Energy wind turbines to be installed at two plants in the northeastern part of the country.

While Thailand's smart grid efforts haven't been the stuff of industry media headlines, the country's state electric utility,  Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), announced in April 2011 that it would invest $13 billion to develop a nationwide intelligent power network over the next 15 years, and later announced its Smart Grid Project roadmap to design a smart grid capable of integrating solar and wind power and supporting plug-in EVs.

The Siemens Energy wind turbines will provide a combined capacity of 200 megawatts of power for two power plants. Installation is expected to start in spring of this year.

"The market entry in Thailand proves that our business gains momentum in Asia," said Kay Weber, CEO for the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit APAC. Weber added that the company expects more orders from the country.

And Thailand isn't the only country in the neighborhood investing in grid modernization. Viet Nam's National Power Transmission has invested in a 500 kilovolt  electric grid to connect five provinces and Ho Chi Minh City by 2014 or 2015, which is expected to increase connectivity within the country and throughout Laos and Cambodia afterward. Electricity Viet Nam announced recently that it plans to borrow $3 billion to finance electricity projects this year.

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