Up to 43 firms have won an auction to participate in the Energy for All renewable scheme, following several delays caused by Covid-19 and a cabinet reshuffle, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
All bid winners are given one week to acknowledge the conditions of the renewable power projects, including benefit-sharing between investors and communities, and sign power purchase agreements with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) within 120 days, said Khomgrich Tantravanich, secretary-general of ERC.
Energy for All, introduced in November 2019, is designed to have businesses and communities jointly invest in biomass and biogas-fired power plants.
According to ERC, 16 firms were awarded biomass energy projects, with capacity of 75 megawatts, and 27 firms were granted a right to operate biogas energy projects, with capacity of 74.5MW.
All projects, which have combined capacity of 149.5MW, are located in areas under the supervision of the PEA countrywide, excluding Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.
Up to 13 power plants are slated for the Northeast, followed by 11 in the North, nine in the South, seven in the central region and three in the West.
Energy for All faced several delays, including from measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 and the resignation of former energy minister Sontirat Sontijirawong due to a political conflict in the government last year.
Energy policymakers approved pilot projects with a maximum 150MW in capacity before increasing the amount to 1,000MW in a series of auctions scheduled from next year.
Kriangkrai Pheanvitayaskul, chief executive of SCI Electric Plc, said the firm's four units won bids for projects with combined capacity of 11MW.
He is confident SCI Electric will successfully develop power plants to meet the conditions.
"This is a good start for SCI Electric after we decided to diversify our business, which was previously restricted to electricity system development and electrical appliance sales," said Mr Kriangkrai.
"We expect the power business will generate constant revenue."
UAC Global Plc won only one bid of the six projects it proposed at auction. It plans to spend 300 million baht developing a 12MW power plant in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen.
"Though our proposals to share benefits could not compete with some other firms, we plan to return to participate in the second auction," said Chatchaphol Prasopchoke president and chief executive of UAC Global.