Construction underway at Thai 60 MWh facility in direct supply deal, courtesy of Japanese funding

A unique project in Thailand has begun with construction, with the 48 MW / 60 MWh solar and storage project in Lopburi set to play a role in Japan’s efforts to decarbonize its industry even in overseas locations.

As part of reducing Scope 2 emissions, two grid-adjacent and complementary projects have been funded via an initiative from Japan’s 2025 Fiscal Year Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). The first is the Lopburi project while the second is the 104 MW / 129 MWh Bang Pa-in project.

The project is being developed by Minebea Super Solar Power (MSSP), a joint venture between Japanese precision giant MinebeaMitsumi and Thailand’s Super Energy. The subsidy framework involves supporting MinebeaMitsumi as the representative participant with the projects structured as direct power supply to Minebea’s plants in Bang Pa-in and Lopburi, which make a range of precision products, including bearings, motors, and sensors. There are as many as seven plants in operation in Thailand.

In previous announcements related to installing solar modules on the rooftops of the factory in 2021, MinebeaMitsumi said its Thai operations account for more than 30% of its global production, while more recent updates to the Minebea Thai website indicated “approximately 20%” of group production is in Thailand.

In the continuing announcements about the projects comes word of construction starting via Chinese solar PV module manufacturer Hanersun, which will supply n-type HITOUCH 6N 715 W bifacial modules, which the company claims are engineered to perform in Thailand’s heat and humidity.

Of the supplied quotes, Suchanya Nanumchio, VP-BD of MSSP, said: “This 48 MW project is a critical step in optimizing our energy structure, and we look forward to further collaboration in the green energy space.”

The storage supplier has yet to be announced for what ranks among the world’s most significant direct-supply industrial solar-plus-storage projects outside a PPA framework.