PEA Encom International (Encom), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority, has allocated a capital expenditure budget of 32 billion baht mostly for renewable energy projects, until 2018. The largest project among these includes the development of four solar farms in northeastern Thailand at a cost of 2.5 billion baht. Of these farms, two are located in Surin province and one each in Loei province and Khon Kaen province. The capacity of each plant is 7.46 MW. Encom owns these projects in a JV with Solar Power Company. Additionally, Encom has a JV with Laos state-owned Electricite du Laos for the development of a 5 MW hydropower plant in Nam Hum for 240 million baht. The project is slated to commence operations in 2017. Moreover, Encom plans to develop a biogas project from waste water at a palm oil crushing plant in Krabi. At present, the company is also conducting a feasibility study for a wind farm project Phetchabun through a joint venture with a Thailand-based company. Further, the company is selecting six areas across the nation to develop community waste-to-energy projects with a capacity of 2–3 MW each.
