14 | theceomagazine.com“ We ar e quite unique, thanks to
our sustainable strategic plan.”
- Somruedee Chaimongkol, CEO of Banpu, Thailand
Having spent her entire career at Banpu, Somruedee
Chaimongkol has put her heart and soul into building one
of South-East Asia’s biggest energy companies with huge
stakes in power generation across the region. With most of
Banpu’s assets in coal, Somruedee has earned the nickname
‘Asia’s First Lady of Coal’.
Moniker aside, Somruedee says Banpu will be investing
more in renewable energy. “As a leading energy company that
supports the most efficient use of energy, Banpu Infinergy will
continue to invest in renewable energy. We will not limit
ourselves to solar energy but will also explore the possibility
of expanding to storage and management systems to help
the government achieve its smart city initiatives,” she says.
“From now on, we are looking to invest more in renewable
capacity in CLMV [Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam].
We are open to every kind of energy whether it be solar, wind
or hydro,” she continues.
“In Vietnam, we have started discussions. It will take a
while to conclude, and implementation of each greenfield
project will take around three to five years. We are waiting for
project endorsement and then we will proceed with it.
“In the overall picture, we are an integrated energy
provider. Compared with pure coal companies, we are quite
unique, thanks to our sustainable strategic plan,” she adds.INSPIRE | Cover story