Thailand, a land of natural beauty, faces an escalating pollution crisis that threatens its environment. Yet, amid this challenge, collaboration with China is driving innovative solutions.
In the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, the Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid combines solar and hydropower, reflects a future where technology and nature coexist harmoniously.
The vast array of over 144,000 floating solar panels, covering an area equivalent to 70 football fields, combines with hydropower to generate 81MW of electricity, solar by day and hydropower by night.
"This is called a Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid. Now it's considered as the largest one in the world," said Arthit Phornkuna, chief of the Sirindhorn Hydro Power Plant Department.
It is a project co-developed by China Energy Engineering Group.
"The majority of products and equipment from are from China. The solar panel that is used is JA brand. The inverter is Sungrow brand, also from China. They also brought knowledge and knowhow about the linkage system," said Phornkuna.
But this dance of sun and water is more than just a technological achievement; it is a glimpse into a future where harmony reigns between humanity and the Earth. It minimizes land use and its impact on ecosystems. The solar panels also reduce water evaporation from the reservoir, crucial in a region where water is vital for agriculture and daily life.
"The growth of Ubon's city is that the development is increasing with the growth of industrial sectors and farmers' productivity. Ubon city and province are growing. So, we need to make energy available to support increased usage," said Phornkuna.
The villages in Ubon Province are remote. Many have limited access to electricity. Others faced with high electricity costs that are too much for the people to bear. For Sisaengtham School, the story was no different, until one monk dared to dream differently.
The monk imagined a school that could harness the power of nature, reduce its carbon footprint, and empower students with the knowledge that they could be part of the solution to the world's biggest challenges, where the sun's rays could become a source of enlightenment in more ways than one.
"China is the leader in solar technology. They also have their own products and materials. We can import their products inexpensively. It's the best in the world. In terms of quality, there is no better choice than this. If the (solar) system is turned off, the electricity bill costs around 20,000 Baht ($580) per month. When the solar system is turned on, we pay only 40 Baht per month. It is extremely economical and the obvious savings can generate more income for our school," said Phra Panyawachiramoli, founder of Sisaengtham school.
For students, sustainability is a lived experience. They know firsthand how renewable energy can change lives. They study solar power, monitor the school's energy production, and contribute to community sustainability projects.
Panyawachiramoli has become known as the "Solar Monk." Just like his teachings, the school, even the whole community has become a unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern innovation, an extension of their belief in sufficiency and balance—a way to honor the Earth while embracing the future.
"We start with the environment as the foundation. Then there are two things, energy and agriculture. Agriculture is connected to individuals and the way of life of the community. No one can live without energy. So, I used this concept as a model to develop and drive this school," said Panyawachiramoli.
China and Thailand's collaboration in the solar sector is a natural fit. China's advanced technology complements Thailand's growing demand for renewable energy. Thailand's solar power strategy combines large-scale projects with community initiatives, featuring floating solar farms, and panels on temples, schools and rural homes.
But there is still a long way to go. Thailand's energy grids continue to rely heavily on fossil fuel, making up approximately 70 percent of the country's power, while only around 29 percent comes from renewable sources.
Amid the general gloom of climate change, pollution and a global energy crisis, Thailand's story is generally changing. The plot of sustainability is now emerging not as a distant ideal, but as a vivid, urgent reality for this country.
Chasing the sun: China's footprint on Thailand's energy landscape
The Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway has facilitated closer economic integration and accelerated the development of a dual-city economic circle in southwestern China. The 308-kilometer-long high-speed railway, with a designed speed of 300 to 350 kilometers per hour, started operation in late 2015, dramatically reducing travel time between them from 13 to 2 hours. For three generations, train driver Li Zhigang and his family have been witnesses the evolution of China's rail transport from steam to high-speed trains. Li said his grandfather blew the first whistle on July 1, 1952 at the opening of the Chengdu-Chongqing railway, the first line built after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. His father Li Guofang was a retired train driver. Speed becomes a significant difference between the two generations. Li Guofang said a badge for 500,000 km of safe driving took at least a decade while Li Zhigang said now a high-speed train can make 500,000 km in a year or two. "My dad lived in the era of steam, the internal combustion engine and the electric locomotive. He's missed the era of high-speed trains," said Li Zhigang. As a Chongqing local, Li Zhigang has been a train driver for 27 years. "On December 25, 2021, the Chengdu-Chongqing line was upgraded to 350 km/h. I was the inaugural driver. I felt it was my inheritance," he said, "Now I'm driving from Chongqing to Chengdu on China's most advanced intelligent Fuxing high-speed train." Li said the high-speed railway is serving as a driving force for coordinated regional development as the two economically vibrant cities are building a dual-city economic circle with its own strengths and distinctive features as well as national impact. "Railways help to grow the local economy. The Chengdu-Chongqing dual-city economic circle, for example. Today, I might have noodles in Chongqing and then go shopping at Chengdu's Taikoo Li. Developing railways drives the surrounding economy. It's a microcosm of Chinese modernization," he said. Chongqing, the traditional industrial powerhouse in southwestern China, became China's fourth municipality in 1997 after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Covering 82,402 square kilometers and with a population of over 32 million, it is the largest of the four, even bigger in area than Ireland or the Czech Republic. Chengdu, capital of neighboring Sichuan province, boasts strong scientific research capabilities, fast economic growth and rich culture. "Chengdu and Chongqing are distinct and complementary in their industries. Chengdu leans towards soft technologies, such as communication and information technology. Chongqing excels in manufacturing, particularly smart manufacturing," said Liang Haoguang, executive director of the China Center for Modernization Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The economic circle was first proposed on January 3, 2020 and its detailed guideline was released on October 21, 2021. It aims to create a new economic growth zone in the western China region. "This Chongqing-Chengdu high-speed line, which increases the connectivity of these two poles, and these two cities were identified as core drivers of western development," said Michael Dunford, emeritus professor of the University of Sussex. The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is another important regional development strategy, following the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, all in the country's east, have become the main drivers of China's economy. But the western region has lacked a national-level economic circle. The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is expected to drive the development of China's vast western region, and effectively solve the long-term problems of unbalanced and inadequate regional development in China. For a long time, the weak transport infrastructure of the Chengdu-Chongqing region has been one of the main stumbling blocks in its development. To solve the problem, the two cities have invested heavily in transport infrastructure in recent years. Developed transportation system is an important symbol of a world-class metropolitan area. It will also be the key to building the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. "Creating urban clusters like the Greater Bay and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions groups industries and innovation zones to drive development, narrows the urban-rural gap and improves resource allocation," said Liang.
Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway boosts economic integration in southwest China
