Mitsubishi Power announces commencement of operations at the 1.4GW Hin Kong GTCC power plant in Thailand.

Mitsubishi Power, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has completed the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the 1.4GW Hin Kong gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power plant in Thailand.

The natural gas-fired plant, which features two M701JAC gas turbines, was completed on schedule. The first turbine began commercial operation in March 2024, while the second unit was brought online this month.

Located around 100km west of Bangkok, the Hin Kong GTCC facility is owned by Hin Kong Power. The entity is a joint venture (JV) between RATCH Group Public, which holds 51% ownership, and Gulf Energy Development Public, which owns the remaining 49% stake.

RATCH CEO Nitus Voraphonpiput said: “We are proud to celebrate the completion of this critical high-efficiency power plant, which furthers our goal to deliver reliable, sustainable, and efficient energy solutions for Thailand.

“This plant supports the growing energy demands of the country while ensuring we are future-ready as energy needs evolve. We look forward to strengthening collaboration with our partners to drive Thailand’s energy progress.”

Under a 25-year long-term service agreement (LTSA), Mitsubishi Power will provide maintenance services for the turbines at the Hin Kong plant.

The natural gas-fired plant will supply electricity to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) under a long-term power purchase agreement. This is expected to ensure reliable and efficient energy to address the growing power needs of Thailand.

The Hin Kong project builds on Mitsubishi Power’s recent completion of the 5.3GW GTCC power plant in Thailand’s Rayong and Chonburi provinces, which was developed in partnership with Gulf Energy Development Public and Mitsui & Co.

Together, the two projects incorporate 10 M701JAC gas turbines, which have collectively achieved 120,000 cumulative operating hours, said Mitsubishi Power

Mitsubishi Power executive vice president Takao Tsukui said: “This project marks the commercial operation of our tenth M701JAC gas turbine in Thailand, a memorable milestone that we are proud to celebrate together with RATCH and GULF.

“Looking ahead, we remain committed to providing continuous support through the 25 years LTSA, ensuring the stable operation of this power plant over the years to come.”

Mitsubishi Power has supplied a total of 22 gas turbines to projects developed by RATCH and Gulf Energy Development Public, contributing over 14GW of power generation capacity in Thailand.