Mitsubishi Brings Final Unit of 5.3-GW Gas-Fired Thailand Project Online
Mitsubishi Power announced completion of a 5.3-GW natural gas-fired power plant project in Thailand, with the multi-phase installation now fully in commercial operation.
The two combined-cycle power plants in Chonburi and Rayong provinces, regions that are hubs for technology manufacturing and services in Thailand, each feature four M701JAC turbines. Mitsubishi on October 9 announced the eighth and final unit of the project, installed at the Rayong site, came online on October 1.
Mitsubishi was awarded the project in 2018. The power plants are a joint venture of Gulf Energy Development Public Co. Ltd., one of Thailand’s largest independent power producers, and Japanese trading company Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi’s Largest Project
The seven turbines previously installed at the two plants already have operated for about 100,000 hours, according to Mitsubishi. The project ranks among the largest gas-fired power generation installations in the world, and is Mitsubishi Power’s largest-ever completed order by capacity.
The project’s first phase at the Chonburi power plant, which is operated by Gulf SRC Co. Ltd., was Mitsubishi Power’s inaugural J-Series Air-Cooled (JAC) gas turbine installation in Southeast Asia in 2021. The Chonburi plant was fully completed in October 2022.
Boonchai Thirati, deputy CEO for Gulf Energy Development Public Co., speaking at a ceremony marking the project’s completion, said, “As a result of our collective efforts as a team, we successfully navigated challenges posed by COVID-19 and commenced the operation of all eight units on schedule. We thank all our partners for their excellent performance and look forward to continuing our partnership to deliver stable electricity to communities across Thailand.”
“Having overcome challenging circumstances, including COVID-19, we completed each of the remaining units every six months,” said Takao Tsukui, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Power. “Today, all units are fully operational on schedule, a testament to the unwavering collaboration of everyone involved, and a milestone we take immense pride in.”
Tsukui added, “As our first JAC gas turbine project in Southeast Asia, the GTCC plants in Chonburi and Rayong provinces set the stage for contracting over 90 JAC gas turbines globally. We are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us and are committed to ensuring the continued success of this project through our long-term service agreement.”
Mitsubishi Power will maintain the facilities under a 25-year long-term services agreement. The project has a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.
Mitsubishi Power has been active in Thailand for several years, including supplying equipment to Gulf Energy Development for combined-cycle plants that entered service at Nong Saeng and U Thai in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The company in 2020 supplied two M701JAC turbines to Hin Kong Power Co. Ltd. for another Gulf Energy Development power plant.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).