German renewable energy firm SunTechnics opens Bangkok office

Jun 5, 2007, 9:43 GMT

Bangkok - As part of its rapid expansion in Asia, Germany's SunTechnics Energy Systems Company on Tuesday opened an office in Bangkok to target Thailand's growing demand for renewable energy solutions.

SunTechnics, part of the Conergy AG Group in Germany, has within the past three years opened offices in India, South Korea, Singapore and Shanghai, China.

'We always want to be as close as possible to our customers because what we deliver is not just products but turnkey solutions,' said Stefan Mueller, managing director of SunTechnics Asia-Pacific.

In Thailand, the company will initially target bio-mass 'gasificiation' projects, in line with the Thai government's plans to hike the contribution of renewable energies to 8 per cent of the energy mix by the year 2011.

'There is huge potential for biomass in Thailand,' said Mueller, citing the kingdom's leading role as an exporter of fruit juices and rice. 'We can make energy out of the waste products, such as fruit pulp and rice husks for instance.'

Mueller also sees great potential for solar energy in Thailand, especially on the country's smaller islands where renewable energy will be more cost-effective and more in tune with global trends towards eco-tourism.

'German tourists nowadays want a nice beach but they are also more aware of environmental issues,' said the SunTechnics regional manager. 'So this becomes a good marketing point for the tourism industry.'

SunTechnics is part of Germany's Conergy AG, a company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange that has more than 2,000 employees worldwide and a reported revenue of 750 million euros in 2006.