BANGKOK, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Three white generator units are operating at full capacity in Thailand's Koh Sichang Power Plant to meet the electricity demand of the island's residents, as Thailand is entering the hottest season of the year.
With an area of 17 square km and a population of over 5,000, Koh Sichang island is approximately 100 km away from Bangkok, Thailand's capital city.
The Koh Sichang Power Plant project was contracted by Thailand's Namsang Group and built by China's Weichai Group. With a 3 megawatt capacity powered by three generator units, the plant has been operating safely for five years since it was put into operation in March 2019.
"The generator units of Weichai helped us a lot," said Pattana Ketkaew, deputy mayor of Koh Sichang Subdistrict. He recalled that the submarine cable to the island was accidentally cut off by a navigable vessel several years ago, resulted in insufficient power supply. Due to lack of power, the seafood on the island could not be frozen and stored, which caused significant losses.
Zhang Xuechao, assistant general manager of Weichai Electric Power Equipment Company, said that the power plant primarily serves the local merchants and residents on the island, operating for an average of 16 hours per day and has accumulated a stable operation of 30,000 hours so far.
The temperature and humidity in Southeast Asian islands are relatively high, causing strong corrosiveness to equipment and materials. "This unique climate environment brought severe challenges to the operation of the generator units, so we made targeted improvements based on the characteristics of the island," said Zhang.
Giving an example, Zhang said the cooling system were zoned to ensure the continuous and stable operation in high-temperatures. Anti-corrosion and anti-salt spray were also specially designed.
Pattana said the entire island has been benefitted from the power plant, not only providing daily electricity to the residents, but also ensuring the commercial needs of hotels and restaurants.
"I was often worried about power outages in the past, and the insufficient power supply had a great impact on my restaurant business. Currently, I am confident to run the restaurant because of the stable power supply and it also brings opportunities to the island's tourism industry," said Rat Ketdunri, a restaurant owner in Koh Sichang island.
At the ceremony celebrating the plant's 30,000 operational hours on Wednesday, Tan Xuguang, chairman of Weichai Group, presented the Thai customer, Namsang Group, a "Lifetime Warranty" service commitment certificate.
Tan said that the successful operation of Koh Sichang Power Plant has not only improved the quality of life of local residents, but also enhanced the reputation of Chinese companies in Thailand. In the future, Weichai will provide Thai customers with more efficient and reliable power solutions.
Calling Chinese projects "reliable," Suranan Tankunakorn, managing director of Namsang Group, thanked Weichai's continuous technical support. He hoped that both sides will expand cooperation and develop more high-quality projects tailored to Thailand's market. ■