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

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

It takes about 10 years to build a Nuclear Power Station, so if the got cracking now they may have it on line by 2017, what is their estimated consumption by then?

Where does that leave the Ongkarak reactor, I wonder? She's already up and running for some years I believe, but some people (in particular the last Gov of Bangkok - Ai Dang Moo) wanted to soup it up a bit and make it ballistic.

I'm with ya Soundman on the niggling little worries about Thailand going nuclear. I can still remember the nuclear fallout from Chernobyl back in '86, when working under rainy Scottish skies. They banned selling Dumfries lamb, like Lappland reindeer steaks, for about a decade after. Which dude said one didn't need to worry about the atmosphere with nuclear? Maybe too young to remember 3 Mile Island's and Sellafield's little contributions to cancer spikes and other nuclear presents.

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.

Reactor: OAP operates a 2-megawatt nuclear research reactor, Thai Research Reactor 1/Modification 1 (TRR-1/M1). TRR-1/M1 is of the type TRIGA Mark III, built by General Atomics, and began operation in 1977. TRR-1/M1 is the only nuclear reactor in Thailand.

TRIGA is a pool-type reactor that can be installed without a containment building, and is designed for use by scientific institutions and universities for purposes such as graduate education, private commercial research, non-destructive testing and isotope production.

The TRIGA reactor uses uranium-zirconium-hydride (UZrH) fuel, which has a prompt negative temperature coefficient, meaning that as the temperature of the core increases, the reactivity decreases - so it is physically impossible for a meltdown to occur.

them's apples ,

these are oranges ...................

them's apples ,

these are oranges ...................

"Yo Noi, go 'nd fetch a couple of the long, heavy rod things. Peak period is coming & we have to juice this thing up!"

"No problemo boss, where the fcuk do we keep those anyway?"

"Don't ya know ya imbecile? They're in that rusty shed outside."

"Got it. Hey do I need one of those suit things you are wearing?"

"Na, its only for us techies who have to wear this garb to keep the inter. inspectors happy. She'll be right mate!"

"What about the pile of used ones out the back?"

"Don't concern youself with those laddie. The dump truck's comin next week to take them to the new landfill for the runway extension at the airport. We actually make profit fom selling that glowing sh!t."

"No wuckers boss!"

coloured conversation above is written in jest at a potentially dangerous problem.

Build it down in Pattaya and put some chrome poles around it. Brownout problems solved immediately.