The company says it expects this method to generate decent returns and help ensure strong and sustainable growth.
BCPG, a subsidiary of diversified oil refiner Bangchak Petroleum (BCP), has expanded to Japan through its acquisition of SunEdison’s entire solar-power business in that country for nearly US$80 million (Bt2.76 billion). It intends to use the newly acquired subsidiary to expand further in Japan and other countries.
This month, the company raised Bt5.9 billion through an initial public offering of 590 million newly issued shares at the IPO price of Bt10 per share to a specific group of BCP shareholders and to public and institutional investors and the company’s patronage.
BCPG currently owns domestic and overseas solar power plants with an aggregate contracted capacity of 324 megawatts. The solar plants in Thailand have an aggregate contracted capacity of 130MW, consisting of projects that have begun commercial operation (118MW) and those in the development phase that are expected to begin commercial operation by this year-end (12MW).
It also has solar plants in Japan with an aggregate contracted capacity of 194MW consisting of projects that have begun commercial operation (20MW) and those in the development phase (174MW).
Bundit Sapianchai, president of BCPG, said it was now ready for the first trading day on the SET under the ticker symbol “BCPG”, and expressed confidence that the stock would receive sound feedback from investors,
BCPG will use the funds raised from IPO to finance expansion of its renewable-power business both domestically and internationally. The expansion projects will involve various categories of power plants, including solar, geothermal, wind, biogas, biomass and waste-to-energy, which it says employ advanced eco-friendly technologies, and are expected to increase the company’s aggregate installed capacity to 1,000MW by 2020.
“Our investment targets are not limited to those in North Asia and Southeast Asia. We also explore the possibility of investing our capital in other regions. We will base our decisions to invest on the type of fuel [suitable for each respective country] and on expected returns on investment,” Bundit said.

The company’s AIS Fibre brand is expected to see 300,000 subscribers by the end of this year, up from 200,000 now. It was launched in April.
Saran Phaloprakarn, senior vice president for fixed broadband business management, said yesterday that the brand currently occupied 2 per cent of the market, trailing the leaders – True Corp, Triple T Broadband and TOT.
About 70 per cent of its broadband subscribers are also AIS mobile-phone subscribers. AIS is acquiring 30,000-35,000 fixed-broadband subscribers monthly and expects to increase the rate to 40,000-45,000 by early next year.
If AIS wants to rank second, it needs at least 2 million subscribers. This could be achieved in four years.
AIS is installing the fibre-optic network, which is expected to cover all of Bangkok and the main areas of 27 provinces by year-end.
Today, AIS is also bringing out new competitive AIS Fibre packages, bundled with many privileges. The packages start at Bt590 a month for 20/7 megabits per second of connection speed. For AIS mobile-phone subscribers, the charge goes down to Bt531 per month. Other packages are also cheaper for them.

The routes will become operational over the next 10 weeks, starting with Bangkok to Gaya and Varanasi from October 1, followed by Bangkok-Jaipur from November 15, and Bangkok-Lucknow from December 1.
“These flights will bridge the demand from both Indians and Thais who have been looking for seamless connections for religion, work and leisure purposes in Thailand and India, and in onward destinations,” Woranate Laprabang, acting chief executive officer of the airline – a fully owned subsidiary of national carrier Thai Airways – said yesterday.
“We consider these connecting flights as part of our strategic destinations in India.
Thai Smile Airways is undertaking an ambitious growth programme to develop its network and ensure international connectivity. Moreover, we are committed to ensuring that our passengers have greater choice and opportunity to discover new destinations by flying with Thai Smile Airways.
“With our strong reputation in offering a full-service experience for our passengers, we confidently believe that we shall be one of the leading players in this market in the near future,” he said.
The routes will be operated with A320 aircraft, which will offer a choice of 12 Premium Economy Class seats and 154 in Economy Class, and a host of features for passengers, such as in-flight entertainment and specially designed Indian cuisine and beverages.
In addition, Thai Smile has chosen The Bird Group as its general sales agent for the Indian market, with immediate effect.
The Bird Group will handle the airline’s sales development, bookings and ticketing services within India, as well as conduct direct marketing and service support to Indian travel agents.
Gaurav Bhatia, executive director of Bird Travels, described Thai Smile as a young and vibrant airline and subsidiary of Thai Airways, which is a well-known brand in India among travellers.
At present, Thai Smile Airways operates domestic routes from 10 destinations – Chiang Mai, Phuket, Khon Kaen, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Surat Thani, Narathiwat and Krabi – and international flights from Bangkok to Yangon, Siem Reap, Penang, Changsha and Chongqing.