The new trucks will be used in surface coal mining concession of Hongsa Power Plant in Laos
Volvo Group (Thailand) Company Limited, the sole distributor and assembler of Volvo Trucks, has received 70 all-new FMXs purchase order from Chang Pinit Engineering (2539) Company Limited (CPE) and were delivered in Laos People Democracy Republic to serve Hongsa Power plant project.
According to Jacques Michel, President of Volvo Group (Thailand) Company Limited and Managing Director of Asia Oceania Hub Thailand, the all-new FMX had gained popularity among the customers and lately CPE already placed 70 all-new FMXs order from CPE.
He said CPE’s Managing Director, Mr. Prayoon Changpinit, better known as Khun Noi in Lampang, had trusted Volvo Trucks Brand for more than 13 years when he established his owned business in Lampang relating to coal mining concession and now he operated more than 300 Volvo Trucks in his fleet.
“I would say something about Khun Noi. He came to us and telling us about his need of machines being used in mining work. Off course, it was not easy for truck maker to develop a truck to serve need for only one person, but it was not Volvo Trucks. At that time, Volvo Trucks considered Khun Noi as a partner and we developed our trucks for him exclusively.”
"Finally, we developed a prototype for him and he has repeated his orders several times. Today now he has more than 300 Volvo Trucks in his fleet, excluding the new order of 70 trucks being done today,” said Mr. Michel.
CPE is a Thailand leading service provider of the primary operating companies in mining operation, material handling and land transport activities. In 2014, CPE had awarded a contract to operate a surface coal mining concession for a coal power plant belongs to Hongsa Power Company Limited (HPC) in Hongsa District, Lao PDR. With the signing of this contract valued of up to 4.3 billion bath and 5.5 year concession agreement, they decided to place an order purchasing 70 all-new FMXs in its existing 300 – Volvo trucks fleet to serve its growing of mining business. In addition, CPE also signed contract for service agreement gold package for all 70 units to control its operating cost.
Mr. Michel said a partner of Volvo Trucks, VFS Thailand or Volvo Financial Service Thailand, was one of important partner to help Volvo Trucks receiving the contract from CPE as it made this large deal for Volvo Trucks was made possible. A fully-integrated solution, where finance was bundled together with maintenance and was represented to the customer when they sought financial solutions to acquire new vehicles for their fleet, resulting owning 70 new Volvo FMX Trucks to be fully financed by VFS Thailand’s Alliance Partners, and winning the new tender for the coal mine project in Laos.
“Volvo Group’s total offer which includes Robust FMX Truck, Service Agreement and Financing Solution made this project possible. With reliability and efficiency of Volvo FMX and the funding VFS Thailand, together helped CPE to win the bidding for O/B project at Hongsa Power Plant Project again”, said Mr. Prayoon and adding that it had been proved that Volvo, CPE and VFS Thailand were not just business counterparts but long-term partners.
The Hongsa Mine Mouth power project is the first and the biggest lignite-fired power plant to be developed in Lao PDR. The project is being developed in Hongsa and Muang Nguen Districts of Xayaboury Province, Lao., launched in 2009. It is a joint venture between Banpu Power Limited (BPP), the Lao Holding State Enterprise (LHSE) and the Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company Limited (RATCH), called Hongsa Power Company Limited (HPC). HPC signed a 25-year concession agreement to sell 1,473MW of the net available-for-sale power output to Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) or around 90% of total capacity.