e Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) constructed the plants in four phases from 1978 to 1996. It owns and operates the Mae Moh Power Plant which is fueled by an open pit lignite mine which produces 40,000 tons per day. With an area of 135 square kilometers, it is considered the largest coal-fired power plant in Southeast Asia.
The project aims to answer the growing electricity demand in Metropolitan Bangkok and rural areas. According to the ADB and EGAT, the project is highly successful since the project objectives involving least-cost nature, system loss reduction, and system stability and reliability have been met.