Grundfos A/S, the Danish pump manufacturing company, in collaboration with the Thai solar cell manufacturer Solartron on January 22 introduced cost efficient solar pump solutions to water problems in non-electrified rural areas of Thailand at the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok.
“The project is aimed to solve lack of water supply and related problems in rural areas and it is mainly to be achieved through an extensive information campaign,” the Royal Danish Ambassador to Thailand, Michael Sternberg, remarked at the official launch of the program.
The concept of environmental friendly solar powered water pumps is to reduce the consumption of the fuel and pollution from the power system which is in accordance with the sustainable environmental issue and the Royal Concept of Sufficiency Economy.
The potential customer groups are Local Administrations and Municipalities, especially in non-electrified rural Thailand, said Wandee Khunchornyakong, CEO of Solartron PCL.
“The solar water pumps can be used for the household consumption, as well as agricultural and industrial purpose,” she continued and added that it has been used in projects initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for many years.
The collaborative project will be carried out by five Knowledge Centers and four Solar Power Water Pumping Demonstration Centers in five provinces of Thailand; Chiangmai, Ayuthaya, Nakornratchasima, Buriram, Udontani and as well as three Mobile Demonstration Units throughout the country, with the local Thai technicians who will be trained and educated both in Thailand and Denmark.
“Solartron panels and Grundfos pumps are both robust which work well under any weather conditions with long warrantees and reputation for equipment quality. Therefore, the end users in rural area can operate the system and perform basic maintenance of the solar pumps by themselves” said Jens Ove Frederiksen, Project Manager of Grundfos Management A/S from Denmark.
The initiative is part of the REWaRD Project – Renewable Energy Water supply and Rural Development with the financial support of 33 million Baht by special environmental assistance of the Danish International Development Agency (Danida).
