WHAUP supplying Saha Farms with solar power
Electricity is generated from 14 projects with diverse solar generation sources, including ground-mounted solar farms, floating solar farms and rooftop solar panels. They have a combined capacity of 46.5 megawatts.
The facilities are scheduled to start commercial operations in the fourth quarter of this year, marking WHAUP's development of clean power and Saha Farms' campaign to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
"The 14 projects represent a significant expansion of WHAUP's renewable energy business beyond WHA's industrial estates," said Somkiat Masunthasuwun, chief executive of WHAUP.
A power handover ceremony was recently held at two key projects: a 20MW solar farm in Phetchabun, and a 9.7MW floating solar farm built in the compound of Saha Farm Co, a Lop Buri-based poultry production firm under Saha Farms Group.
The two projects are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 22,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) per year, more than half of the estimated total greenhouse gas reduction from 14 projects.
All facilities can reduce up to 35,000 tCO2e annually.
WHAUP emphasises the use of innovation to enhance energy management efficiency. All systems are integrated under its unified operations centre, which enables real-time monitoring of power generation, usage, and overall performance.
This centralised control ensures consistent delivery of clean energy, fully supporting Saha Farms' ambitious "Go Green" mission.
The solar partnership with WHAUP is a crucial component of Saha Farms' comprehensive sustainability strategy, said Jaruwan Chotitawan, finance chief and head of marketing at Saha Farm.
Under the Go Green mission, Saha Farms aims to integrate clean energy into all operations, from production and transportation to logistics.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
5 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thai investor confidence hit by political turbulence
Investor sentiment has taken a sharp downturn, sliding firmly into the bearish zone amid mounting political uncertainty at home and escalating global conflicts, according to the latest survey by the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organizations (Fetco). The Fetco Investor Confidence Index (ICI) for June 2025, which gauges expectations for the Thai stock market over the next three months, dropped to 58.5, marking a retreat into bearish territory. The survey, conducted between June 20-30, reflects growing concerns among investors about domestic instability, geopolitical tensions and persistent capital outflows. Confidence dipped across investor groups. The ICI of retail investors was down 14.2% to 50.7, while that of institutional investors decreased 42.1% to 63.6 and foreign investors' ICI dropped 55.6% to 66.7. The confidence of proprietary traders fell 61.9% to 28.6, becoming extremely bearish. "Investor confidence is overshadowed by three main risks: domestic political uncertainties, international conflicts, and continued foreign fund outflows," said Fetco chairman Kobsak Pootrakool. Throughout June, the Thai stock market experienced heightened volatility, weighed down by the intensifying Iran-Israel conflict, rising tensions on the Thai-Cambodian border, and political instability following the Constitutional Court's suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on July 1. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index closed June at 1,089.56 points, falling 5.19% from the previous month, with average daily trading volume at 39.7 billion baht. Foreign investors were net sellers of 7.94 billion baht in June, pushing total foreign net outflows for the first half of 2025 to a staggering 78.7 billion baht. In the first half, economic indicators showed signs of weakening across key sectors, including consumer spending, manufacturing and tourism. Notably, 50% of newly opened restaurants have already shut down. The SET index plunged by 22%, making it the worst-performing stock market globally, while South Korea's stock market led the world with a 28% gain. According to SET data, foreign investors were net sellers of Thai equities, with net outflows of 79 billion baht year-to-date. This follows net sales of 417 billion baht in 2024, continuing a persistent trend of capital flight from the Thai market. Looking forward, investors are watching the US-Thailand trade negotiations, especially after Washington extended its tariff decision deadline to Aug 1, noted Fetco. Tensions in the Middle East, which may affect oil prices and threaten global economic stability, also warrant monitoring. Thailand's economic outlook is clouded by weakening exports, declining tourist arrivals, and a fragile government that may struggle to implement key policy initiatives, said Mr Kobsak. "While the Federal Reserve's rate pauses and local stimulus measures have provided some cushion, investor sentiment remains fragile," he said.
Bangkok Post
6 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thaksin talks up new ‘soft power' push
After being conspicuously quiet during two weeks of high political drama in Thailand, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to the public eye on Wednesday with a splash — talking up his daughter's favourite project. Thaksin was the headline attraction at the SPLASH — Soft Power Forum 2025, unveiling an ambitious roadmap to elevate Thailand's creative industries onto the global stage. At the heart of the new campaign is the transformation of the Otop (One Tambon, One Product) venture that Thaksin introduced two decades ago into ThaiWORKS, a 21st century platform that will give all participants better chances of success. Speaking on the theme 'Crafting the Future: From Otop to ThaiWORKS and Beyond', Thaksin emphasised the transformative potential of soft power in driving economic growth and national unity. The government is promoting soft power across various aspects of Thai culture — including food, film and fashion — to attract tourists, draw investment and strengthen international relations. The SPLASH event, taking place at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center until Friday, has drawn widespread attention from both domestic and international media. It also marked Thaksin's first public appearance since the Hun Sen audio clip controversy that resulted in the suspension of his daughter Paetongtarn from the prime ministership. While the planning for SPLASH began months ago, this week's event just happened to coincide with Ms Paetongtarn moving into her new position at the Ministry of Culture, a key driver of soft power promotion. Although he did not grant interviews, Thaksin greeted supporters warmly and appeared in high spirits. During his address, the 75-year-old billionaire reflected on the origins of the Otop initiative, inspired by Japanese village-based production models, in 2003. He recounted its early success, noting that sales grew from 2 billion baht in the first year to over 40 billion baht the following year, with exports reaching Japan. 'As fans of Japanese culture and products, we studied the Japanese Otop model and recognised that without strong design, packaging, and marketing, Thai craftsmanship remains limited by outdated paradigms,' he said. He also envisions evolving Otop into ThaiWORKS — a platform that integrates design, technology and global marketing to empower local artisans and entrepreneurs. 'Twenty years ago, I founded a political party with the vision: Think new, act new, eyes on the stars, feet on the ground,' he said. 'Today, we face an economic crisis because we remain stuck in outdated paradigms. We must dream big but stay rooted. We need to adapt to a broader world while maintaining strong cultural foundations. 'Thai artisans have great potential — but Otop needed modernisation,' he said. Strategic plans were discussed, including the ambitious goal of placing Otop products in flagship stores on Fifth Avenue and the Champs-Élysées. He noted a key challenge: most Thai brands — especially those from local communities or SMEs — are too small to compete globally. A potential solution is collaborating with established Thai brands to help smaller producers scale up. He also proposed a social enterprise model in which intellectual property rights are held collectively by Thais. Thaksin is reported to have used his own money to engage Peter Arnell, a global branding expert known for his work with Samsung, to help with the new endeavour. Mr Arnell has already created a ThaiWORKS page on his corporate website, though there is little content there so far. Thaksin said ThaiWORKS would also work with local small businesses affected by rising competition from Chinese imports, exploring co-branding strategies and development of independent Thai brands.
Bangkok Post
7 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
More detail on US tariff impacts needed, says Pichai
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira says the government is gathering more detailed feedback from the private sector about the potential impacts of US tariffs on Thai exports. With an Aug 1 deadline for reaching an agreement with Washington approaching, he emphasised the need to formulate responses to various possible outcomes, whether favourable or moderately adverse. Discussions are ongoing as Thailand seeks to persuade US officials that its revised trade proposals are sound. The government hopes Washington will agree to a rate lower than 36%, which would be higher than those of key Southeast Asian peers and competitors. 'We must be prepared for every scenario and determine who will be affected,' Mr Pichai said on Wednesday after a meeting with the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking. While earlier assessments broadly assumed exporters would bear the brunt of the tariffs, the current analysis is more detailed, he said. The tariffs vary by product type and depend on local content of each item, making the impact uneven across industries, said the finance minister. He added that private sector representatives would submit data on the expected impacts for review by Friday. Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, expressed concern prior to the meeting with Mr Pichai. He warned that unresolved negotiations could result in the 36% tariff on Thai products remaining unchanged. 'We hope the US will impose a lower rate on Thailand than those imposed on Vietnam as Thailand's trade surplus with the US is significantly smaller,' said Mr Poj. Vietnam had a trade surplus of $123 billion with the United States last year, compared with a figure of $45 billion for Thailand. Vietnam negotiated an agreement with Washington under which its imports would face a 20% tariff, while Hanoi would impose a zero tariff on US goods, something Thailand does not appear prepared to do. However, Washington will assess a 40% tariff on goods proven to be transshipped — mostly originating in China — or containing very little local Vietnamese content. At the moment, Washington is proposing rates of 25% for Malaysia, 32% for Indonesia and 17% for the Philippines.
