Bangkok - Thailand will send a representative to attend the launch of the world's first international agency dedicated to promoting the use of renewable energy, in Bonn, Germany, next week, with hope of tapping German technology on solar energy, officials confirmed Wednesday. 

Thai Energy Minister Wannarat Charnukul will attend the founding ceremony on January 26 to 27 of the Initiative for an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), a Germany-based organization dedicated to facilitating the use of renewable energy worldwide. 

'IRENA has opened at the right time,' said Wannarat. 'We've confronted some problems with solar energy development in Thailand so we need some technology transfer from IRENA.'

Thailand, famed for its abundant sunshine and hot weather, has failed to turn solar energy into a leading renewable energy source for the kingdom because of the high prices of solar cells, which are in fact exported from Thailand to Germany.

Germany, better known for its cloudy, cold clime, has meanwhile become one of the world's leadi g users users of solar energy.

German Ambassador to Thailand Hanns Schumacher said transfer of German solar technology, which has concentrated on lowering the price of solar cells, was exactly the kind of activity in which IRENA could help.

'IRENA will bring together many countries from around the world to promote the use of renewable energy,' said Schumacher.

'It is the first international organization to concentrate on renewable,' he said. 'There is a real market niche on the international scene as all other agencies are dealing with energy in general.'

Altogether 60 countries, including Thailand, are expected to become founding members of IRENA when it is launched next week.