GE IN THAILAND: SELLING IT ALL

GE has perhaps the most, and most diversified, corporate energy resources in the world. The company does everything from oil and natural gas to nuclear to wind.

GE Energy upbeat on local growth prospects; GE Energy Thailand expects its business to enjoy double-digit growth this year due to a consistent increase in demand as well as the government’s policies of supporting power generation and alternative energy.
Achara Deboonme, August 27, 2007 (The Nation of Thailand)

WHO
Kovit Kantapasara, Director for Thailand and Vietnam, GE Energy

Good location to occupy if you're looking to expand operations, isn't it? (click to enlarge)

WHAT
GE Energy’s plan for Thailand and Vietnam includes traditional energies in the short term and the development of New Energy in the longer term.

WHEN
- GE Energy has been selling energy to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, independent power-producers (IPPs), small power-producers (SPPs) and industrial plants for 15 years.
- GE is expected to build wind turbine installations in Thailand in the next 1-3 years.
- GE awaits technology growth in solar energy and does not expect to develop it for 5-10 years.

WHERE
- 50% of Thai IPPs and 90% of Thai SPPs use GE equipment.
- GE is now moving into Thai alternative energies such as biogas and waste gas.

WHY
- GE Energy generally assumes a 1 to1.4 ratio between a nation’s GDP growth and energy demand growth. A 10% increase in GDP will increase energy demand 14%.
- Thailand’s energy demand may grow faster than because of antiquated power plants that need replacement (and GE will happily replace them, damn the expense to Thailand).
- Thailand is providing tax/tariff incentives to develop demand for alternative energies and GE Energy is providing technology. 10 biogas silos using tapioca flour and palm oil are now operating.
- GE Energy is seeking partners and doing site surveys for wind energy installations. The Thai government has recently instituted tariffs to incentivize wind energy development.
- GE is also studying nuclear energy and clean coal technology but presently considers them too expensive for Thailand.

Doing well by doing good? There are protests against GE's use of genetically modified crops. (click to enlarge -- If this says something nasty, NewEnergyNews apologizes. No translation available.)

QUOTES
- Kovit: "In Southeast Asia, GE Energy Thailand is the biggest in terms of revenue, fleet and the number of staff…Our strengths lie in high-efficiency technology and equipment which promises low maintenance costs and high fuel savings. Our technology is competitive. The key is fuel efficiency, as 60 per cent of the cost of generating power is fuel while maintenance is only 5-6 per cent…"
- Kovit: "Wind power is now prominent elsewhere. We should see it in Thailand after 2009 when demand elsewhere slows and the products become cheaper."
- Kovit: "We have the right technology to support government policies, but we need to balance the use as power is a basic cost for industrial sectors. It is a factor that defines industrial competitiveness…"