Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by / Georg Matthes
00:33 Tanom Mungfia / Electrical Maintenance Section, Northeast Region Hydro Power Plant, Sirindhorn Dam
01:30 Paul Santawee / CEO of Greenenergy
02:16 Krittin Pornpilailuck / CEO PPM Solar
02:58 Krittin Pornpilailuck / CEO PPM Solar
03:39 Virot Ali / Thammasat University
04:17 Georg Matthes / DW correspondent

Script:

Soaking up the sun. This floating power plant generates enough electricity to power 36.000 households a year. The solar farm on Sirindhorn Dam, in northeastern Thailand, is one of the largest of its kind in the world.
Tanom Mungfia has been running the operation here and, so far, it’s all smooth sailing since the plant went online a few years ago.

+++ SOT Mr. Tanom Mungfia, Head, Electrical Maintenance Section, Northeast Region Hydro Power Plant, Sirindhorn Dam, Thai:
“On this island alone, there are 20,000 solar panels, covering an area 140 meters wide and 500 meters long. In total, there are seven of these islands, making a grand total of approximately 144,420 panels.”

The setup is designed to be low maintenance. Rain does the cleaning and the panels even help reduce water loss from the dam. Thailand has worked hard to become a renewable energy leader in Southeast Asia. Tax breaks, incentives, and small solar lights like these are popping up everywhere. Even roadside streetlights are going solar now.

For businesses in the solar game, keeping up with new tech is a constant race.

+++ SOT Paul Santawee, CEO of Greenenergy, eng:
“Just like a cellphone. The new models come out and it’s more interesting, right? And the old model  nobody is going to buy it. It’s the same thing. If you can’t sell it fast enough, the old model is stuck in your stock. And it’s just like that every single quarter.”  
  
Like the panels floating on the solar lake most panels sold in Thailand are still imported from China or made by Chinese companies operating here.

It helps Thailand because prices keep falling. But it also puts local producers like PPM Solar right in the crossfire. After getting hit by US tariffs last year, they’re now bracing for more as Donald Trump ramps up efforts to target China.

+++ SOT Krittin Pornpilailuck, CEO PPM Solar, eng: 
“Many Chinese companies come to Thailand and open a factory they didn’t make the panel here. They import it from China. Then they say the panel is made in this factory export to the US. many companies do this. So the US government see this happen and they come to inspect and they verify that this company is doing that. So they put the tariff. But they don’t put it on this specific company, they put to the whole country.”

To stay competitive, PPM Solar is refining its strategy. They’re hunting for Thai partners from TV makers to fridge manufacturers to build a truly local supply chain. Still, 70% of their raw materials right now comes from China.

+++ SOT Krittin Pornpilailuck, CEO PPM Solar, eng:
“In the future it’s not about the part is made in China or the supply chain is in China or not. It’s about who owns that company? What is the supply chain of this company? So if we can verify and be sure that the Thai producer, the Thai supply chain can match the qualities, can match the quantities that we need this one will be applicable on the tax reduction for sure.”

The current tariff system, however, is not very efficient. It’s damaging for many companies in Thailand that play by the rules. And broad tariffs backfire, this expert says, hurting the U.S. economy more than they help.

+++ SOT Expert, Virot Ali. Thammasat University eng:
“Because what will happen is once you have a very high tariff barrier, it would create a kind of situation within the domestic market where those companies believe that they are protected and they don’t have to invest on more technology or become more competitive in the global market. So I don’t think this is. It is going to help the American companies, maybe in the early stages, but in the midterm and longer term it will be very difficult for them.”

For now, PPM Solar is turning its focus inward, polishing their strategy at home. These panels will soon be powering homes and businesses right here.

++++ PTC Georg Matthes, eng:
"The future of Thailand’s solar industry looks bright. But to win over local buyers, people actually need to trust that these panels will last and save them money in the long run."

One group already convinced are Thai farmers. These solar-powered water pumps - that replace pricey diesel generators - are selling like hotcakes and are supposed to last decades.

Thailand plans to double its solar capacity over the next ten years and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. A lot will depend on how much sun the kingdom will be able to capture until then.

END