German firm to build SE Asia's top commercial solar park

A German solar energy firm said Monday it would build South-East Asia's largest commercial solar power plant, based around 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of Thailand's capital Bangkok.

The first part of the park, in Ayutthaya, should be open by the end of July this year, providing one megawatt of energy, said Hamburg-based Conergy in a statement.

By the end of the year, the park should be completed, with a total power output of three megawatts.

When fully operational, the park will produce 4,500 megawatt hours of electricity per year, equivalent to 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

However, the output is small compared to Germany, where the biggest solar park has a maximum output of 53 megawatts and can provide 15,000 families with electricity.

(c) 2010 AFP