Danes fund solar pumps
Solartron and Grundfos have combined to create new technology for solar-powered water pumps, to ease the water shortage in rural areas with the support of Bt33 million from the Danish government.
At a press conference yesterday, Danish Ambassador Michael Sternberg, said his country's Foreign Ministry had established a programme to improve the environment in Thailand, Malaysia and China by strengthening local industries through the transfer of environmental technology from Danish companies.The Danish government is willing to support a renewable energy, water and rural development project set up by Thai solar-module manufacturer Solartron and Grundfos, the leading water-pump manufacturer in Denmark. The project will involve setting up five knowledge centres, four demonstration centres and three mobile demonstration units, in order to provide know-how about solar water pumps. The two companies may develop their business plan together, in order to export the technology if the project succeeds in the next two years, said Solartron CEO Wandee Khunchornyakong. She said the project was aimed at installing 500 water-pumping systems in Thailand this year, with a target of 4,000 in five years. They are priced between Bt400,000 and Bt1 million. Revenues of Bt250 million should be generated by this new technology in the first year, she said. Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul, The Nation
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