Siam Cement Group operation significantly relies on energy, and it has been a challenge for SCG to manage the energy usage and operate its business while minimizing impact on the environment, particularly climate change.
Currently, SCG’s total renewable energy production from all sources is 30 megawatts (MW), which will contribute towards substantial savings in electricity costs. SCG aims to increase solar capacity to 150 MW during 2018 – 2020.
For this project ABB has supplied 19 units of the central inverter type PVS800-57 for ground-mounted solar including installation, supervision, commissioning and training. Those units will be installed at the 3 cement plants; Khao Wong, Kaeng Khoi and Tha Luang in Saraburi province. The total installed capacity of this project is 25 MW, and has been in operational since October 2018.
“Since the end of 2011, ABB central inverters with a capacity of over 300 MW and ABB string inverters with a capacity of 100 MW have been installed in Thailand,” said Mr. Burapa Laohalatanaviboon, Sales Manager of Power & EV Infrastructure. “We are proud to provide SCG with the inverters that are the most efficient and cost-effective way to convert the direct current (DC) generated by solar modules into high-quality and CO2-free alternating current (AC). It will enable SCG to reduce the electricity cost and its carbon footprint that meet its sustainability goals,” continues Mr. Burapa.
The cement industry is important to Thailand’s industrial development, being the main driver of the construction and infrastructure sectors. Siam Cement Group, established in 1913, is now a leading business conglomerate in the ASEAN region with three core businesses namely SCG Cement-Building Materials, SCG Chemicals and SCG Packaging. Over the years, ABB has, in addition, installed DC drives and DC motors in 12 cement plants owned by SCG.