Thailand opts to build nuclear power plant

Thailand will proceed with a plan to build a nuclear power plant to serve the increased demand for electricity, according to Thailand’s Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amaranand.

Addressing a speech on "Why should a nuclear power plant be built?", Mr. Piyasvasti said the nuclear facility is needed because of the rising consumption of electrical power.

Electricity use has risen 1.14 per cent in comparison with economic growth of one per cent, he explained.

The nuclear power plant is an alternative to produce electricity with no affect on the global warming, the minister said. The action plan to build the nuclear power plant will be finished at the end of this year and
preparation will take another seven years. Construction will be completed in 2020.

Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) governor Kraisri Karnasuta said that construction of the nuclear plant is necessary, and that EGAT will clearly explain its necessity to the public before construction begins.

The project, however, is under way and EGAT is looking for an 800 acre site to build the 4,000 megawatt power plant.

The budget to build the nuclear power plant is estimated at US$6 billion.

When the construction is finished, the cost of producing electricity at the nuclear power plant will stay at Bt2.01 per unit, lower than the Bt2.05 per unit of the electricity produced by conventional coal-fired power plants.

Source: TNA - 11 June 2007

NIMBY ,

as i stated earlier when this was raised ,

until they learn to store munitions without them exploding , perhaps they should refrain from nuclear technology .

Where did he get that idea?
Sure, no CO2 emissions but a considerable amount of heat is generated by the nuclear reaction.
This is used to generate steam to drive the turbines and hence the generators.
Afterwards this heat has to be disippated, which is why these plants are generally build
on estuaries where there are large amounts of water.

See here

An insight into what can go wrong.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is scarier than Iran and North Korea getting nukes from the USA itself.

One would hope that it is built to a better grade than the airport...

I foresee property prices taking a nose dive in whichever lucky province gets designated...


Soundman.

No, no, no, no.

I'm hoping that the likely result of this announcement is a quiet death in committee. But if not, at least we can rest easy knowing that it's unlikely the place will be built in any less time (or with any greater competence) than:

THE AIRPORT!!!

thailand with nukes ,have you seen them with fire works ? nightmare

A threat to National Security?

Will the US should bomb Thailand

Thailand + nuclear power = ???

NO


Thailand + nuclear power =

Sooooolarrrr!

You don't think they are going to enrich the uranium and add it to used coconut shells to make coconut nukes do you???

You're in the right direction.
With this unbearable heat I wonder why they don't just build a giant system of solar panels that covers the country's entire landmass. Save money on energy and export electricity and natural gases.

And it's be shady for once instead of the normal migraine-inducing overillumination.

This is true and the electricity they produce means the heat is disippated across the entire network, meaning the energy (heat) from a nuclear reaction is sent all over.

But, if it is a 3G reactor, then I am in support, as they are far more safe than say an Air cooled reactor like was popular a number of years ago, or a Sodium Cooled reactor, that can be converted into a weapons (breeder reactor) factory within weeks.

In other news Radco a warning sign manufacturer stock rose suddenly 3 points today.

What did the robot on "Lost in space" always say......

This post has been edited by John K: 2007-06-11 22:29:58

I believe that, sadly, like is often seen here, part of the decision is about image.

Solar energy sure is one hub they could dare claim to be.

Solar seems like a no-brainer... Thailand ought to be a world leader in this considering its native solar resources...!

So is biomass and bio-diesel production...

Are there huge Uranium mines in Thailand? Last I knew there are NONE!!!

This smacks of some under the table dealing with major Nuclear Power pushing international corporations...

Sooo... Who is behind this absolutely ludicrous idea???

Follow the money folks...



dseawarrior

mmm... looks like EGAT could do with a few baht to actually keep their website updated.
Or maybe their webmaster needs those extra megawatts just to wake up and get motivated.

http://www.egat.co.th/english/

waste of time

btw the numbers they quote are pretty large. a 4000 MW plant would require 3 or 4 reactors, depending on design. For a country with zero nuclear experience they could have built one first, just to get all the training and experience needed.

this article is worrying. Thais couldn't even get it together to build a 10 MW exprimental reactor

http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/573/5439.html

http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/592/5538.php

just search for Thailand on the WISE site for other goodies about Thailand's nuclear past.

Ah...found their previous test reactor. We shall see who they pay for this new one. On scientific merit, buy a CANDU, tho I suspect China and Russia are frontline here.

rych

This post has been edited by rychrde: 2007-06-12 02:02:56

I can't think of a better place to have a nuclear meltdown. The world really needs more nuclear meltdowns. We need more coal and more oil burning to create energy that we should be held by law to waste. For example, I'm at work, but my aircon is on in my empty house and I think I remembered to open some windows before I left. There should be no cars made smaller than a Hummer and that would be the economy-sized car with the best mileage--something that most God-fearing, self-respecting citizens of the world would never own. They're too small and, really, only suffice for the poor. Give me a Mack truck for a jaunt to the corner store.

I think it's funny how people think that solar energy is going to save the world. Do you have any idea of the environmental damage that's done just from the manufacture of those panels alone? If any of us cared about the environment, we certainly wouldn't be using computers, driving cars and motorbikes, flying to foreign destinations, wearing clothes made in other countries, or eating imported California raisins in our breakfast mush. If we really cared we'd walk around naked and eat grass.

Let's do everyone a favor and consume as much as we can. Let's get this shit over with.

This post has been edited by dkstoney: 2007-06-12 12:54:53

Egat ready to pump $6 bn into nuclear power

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is ready to invest at least US$6 billion (Bt208 billion) in two nuclear power plants in line with the power development plan, which includes the generation of 4,000 megawatts of nuclear power.

Kraisri Karnasutra, governor of the state agency, yesterday said the plants would require an investment of $1.5 million per megawatt. He said nuclear power involved a lower generating cost - at Bt2.01 per unit - than coal, for which the cost was Bt2.05 per unit.

Under the power development plan (PDP), which runs from this year to 2021, Egat will be responsible for national nuclear power generation.

"We're studying the project in detail, and we'll also work on educating the public about nuclear power generation," Kraisri said yesterday at an Egat-sponsored forum titled "Why Nuclear Power Plants?"

He said the plants would be located near rivers, because water is essential for cooling in nuclear facilities. The two plants will together cover an area of 1,000-2,000 rai.

In his speech to the forum, Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said the Kingdom needed nuclear power, because of its overreliance on natural gas and trends towards cleaner energy.

"Nuclear power provides the highest security in terms of fuel when Thailand is facing risks in natural-gas supplies. At present, one-third of natural gas comes from Burma, and Thailand is now negotiating to import liquefied natural gas."

He called natural gas a clean energy source that was in high demand from many countries, which have agreed purchase contracts in advance. Meanwhile, despite its abundance, coal does not enjoy public acceptance, due to fears of pollution.

"Therefore, energy ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum at their meeting from May 27-30 in Australia approved the move to develop nuclear power technology jointly," the minister said.

Under the PDP, 4,000MW of nuclear power is set to be fed into the system in the next 14 years: 2,000MW in 2020 and 2,000MW in 2021.

Piyasvasti said a nuclear-power working committee had been formed and that an action plan should be complete by the end of this year.

If approved, construction of the plants will not start before 2014, by which time the authorities will have undertaken personnel training and public education. A further assessment will then be carried out to finalise whether Thailand was ready for nuclear power plants. If so, the plants will take about six years to build.

"If the new government does not agree to the plan, it should have a clear answer about what the alternative would be and where the fuel would come from," he said.

Piyasvasti added that the Energy Ministry plans to be carried out under the PDP would help reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide.

Under the PDP, priority will be given to power generation from natural gas in the initial stage, to be followed by coal-fired power plants and hydropower. Carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced from 600 tonnes per gigawatt to 470 tonnes by 2021.

Source: The Nation - 12 June 2007

not hard .......................

aside from the practical issues there are the ecomonic, uranium isnt going to last much longer then oil, and with everyone deciding it is some kind of endless energy supply that isnt contributing to global warming I imagine the cost of uranium will have gone up substatualy by the time it is built, let alone the remainder if its life, I predict there will be a lot of half built nuclear reactors around the planet soon, countries really need to think about putting their money into developing sustainable energy, they are going to have to in less then 50 years anyway so why not put the money into it now and get a head start on the rest of the world, but I guess the fortune tellers that make these decisions arent to clued up on reality

Royal Plaza, Bangkok, 2007


Royal Plaza, Bangkok, 2020

How the governor can tell us what will be the price of electricity... in 2020 ? This detail just shows the intellectual level of those people.

The idea to advocate nuclear powerplant in Thailand is not insane.

The thai authorities are.

Thats right mate.

Two years ago, didn't a bunch of militants with few or no armaments, raid a Thai Army Barracks and take 200 odd machine guns from the surrendered and lined up conscripts!?!?#@?!

Is it not possible that a lightly armed militant band (armed with 200 odd machine guns (ex Thai Army issue!)) decide to go nuclear and march on an equally un-secured Nuclear Power Plant, line up the staff, shout a few slogans and walk off with a dirty bomb? or worse, blow the place up on the way out