Thailand To Rethink Plan To Build 5 Nuclear Plants

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Thailand To Rethink Plan To Build 5 Nuclear Plants

Thailand reviews N-power
By The Nation, Agencies
2011-03-15

PM wants rethink of plan to build 5 nuclear plants as global doubts soar

Countries across the world that already operate or plan to invest in nuclear power plants are taking prompt action in response to the explosions at reactors in Japan, with many ordering a review of their plans in the light of the Japanese experience and the solutions the authorities there are pursuing.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday ordered the Energy Ministry to review its plan to establish five nuclear power plants. The ministry has been instructed to study two issues in detail - emergency measures and nuclear plants' potential as terrorist targets.

"Personally, the prime minister does not favour the construction plan. His concern is mounting given the problems in Japan, if Thailand is to adopt the Japanese model. Even with high technology, Japan has not yet been able to restore the cooling system. This shows there are flaws even when you have excellent technology," said Government Spokes-person Panitan Wattanayagorn.

There are 442 reactors worldwide that supply about 15 per cent of global electricity, and a further 65 are under construction, according to the London-based World Nuclear Association. Fifty-four are in operation in Japan, where another two reactors are under construction and 12 more are planned.

There are plans to build more than 155 additional reactors, most of them in Asia, and 65 are under construction, the association said.

The Swiss government has come up with the most drastic move, with the decision to suspend plans to replace and build new nuclear plants pending a review of the two hydrogen explosions at the Japanese facilities following Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Malaysia also wants to learn from the Japanese accident before taking a final decision on whether to establish its first atomic power plants.

"It's best for us to learn from the investigation results and then see further," Peter Chin, minister for energy, green technology and water, told Bloomberg. "What happened in Japan was due to an earthquake. On the Malaysian side, we have not decided anything yet."

Indian Prime Minister Manmo-han Singh yesterday announced a safety review of the country's 20 nuclear power reactors. India plans to spend US$175 billion (Bt5.3 trillion) by 2030 on nuclear generation.

The Finnish government has commissioned a safety agency to study contingency plans at its nuclear power plants in the wake of events in Japan. Finland operates four nuclear reactors and a fifth is being built.

US Senator Joseph Lieberman, an independent who heads the Home-land Security Committee, said the US should slow the construction of new domestic nuclear power plants until officials can assess whether the situation in Japan signals a need for additional safety measures.

Twenty-three nuclear power plants in the US were built according to designs that are similar to the Dai-Ichi plants in Japan, he said on CBS's "Face the Nation".

"I don't want to stop the building of nuclear power plants, but I think we've got to quietly, quickly put the brakes on until we can absorb what has happened in Japan as a result of the earthquake and tsunami and see what more, if anything, we can demand of the new power plants that are coming online," Lieberman said.

Though Japan's accident, a month shy of the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, may reignite debate about the safety of atomic energy, China pledges to go ahead with its plans. Some 25 reactors are under construction as part of a programme to increase installed capacity to 86 gigawatts, or 5 per cent of total electricity generation, by 2020. China's 2011-2015 economic plan targets another 40GW of nuclear power to add to the 10.8GW of installed capacity from 13 reactors.

The day after the monster quake in Japan, Zhang Lijun, vice minister of environmental protection, insisted that China would not change its plan to develop nuclear power.

China has pledged to cut carbon emissions by switching to clean energy such as nuclear and wind power. It wants at least 15 per cent of its energy mix to come from non-fossil fuels by 2020 and is building more atomic plants to help meet that goal.

France's Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, environment minister of a nation highly dependent on nuclear power with 58 reactors, said the country could not forgo nuclear.

[boloa]

I think Thailand should stick to  natural gas and from hydroelectric power plants, far safer 

Thailand's biggest problem when it comes to Electricity is it uses for more than it can produce and they ends up importing power from neighbouring Countries like Laos .Although Thailand has been giving the poorer people of Thailand free electricity ( for the minimal users ) which seems like a good idea at first but what it has in fact done is to encourage the poor to use more electric as the user can now have up to 200 baht free where as before they may have only used 60 baht a month .!!!


http://thaifinancialpost.com/2011/01/18/free-electricity-in-thailand-worries-industry/

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Thailand to review nuclear power plan : minister
By Thai News Agency
The Nation 2011-03-17

The study on building nuclear power plants will be thoroughly reviewed amid the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan which will be a study case for Thailand, Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul on Thursday said Thursday.

His statement came as Japan faced nuclear crisis at the Fukushma nuclear power plant after the country after being hit by huge earthquake and tsunami last week.

He said the study as well as the country's 20-year Power Development Plan (PDP 2010) will be carefully reviewed,

Initially, five 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plants are to be be built on 2020, but if the plan is disrupted, it must be replaced with another form of alternative energy. In this case 13 coal-fired power plants and one natural gas plant will be built, according to the minister.

Wannarat said that local residents in upcountry Thailand also oppose the planned coal-fired plants, a move which he described as leaving the country with no other choices.

"Cancellation of the nuclear power plant construction is not a problem as we have not yet reached the decision-making process whether to build it or not," said Dr Wannarat. "Thailand is like many other countries that [now] must consider Japan's radiation leaks as a case study."

Permanent Secretary for Energy Norkhun Sitthipong said on Thursday that Thailand is awaiting a letter from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certifying its preparation on feasibility study of Thailand's nuclear power plant construction in line with 19-item requirement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) .

Norkhun said the letter is expected to arrive at the ministry March 31 but this may be delayed due to the radiation crisis in Japan.

In earlier discussions with the IAEA, Norkhun said, the agency concluded that Thailand was not yet ready for nuclear plants, citing concerns over legal issues, public understanding and acceptance, as well as the competency and level of development of human resources in this field.

The permanent secretary said that Thailand's national power plan 2010 will be reviewed soon to study other alternative energy such as purchasing electric power from Small Power Producers (SPP) and using more natural gas.

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Energy Ministry:No Official Plan for Nuclear Power In Thailand
Tan Network 2011-03-22

The Energy Minister said that the government has no immediate plans for constructing a nuclear power plant in Thailand and that all previous efforts to explore the construction of nuclear facilities in Thailand were just a part of feasibility studies.

The Energy Minister, Wannarat Channukul gave a speech yesterday regarding the duties of the Energy Regulatory Commission or ERC in granting licenses and advising energy usage.

During the talk, the coordinator of the Thai Network Against Nuclear Power Plants, Sodsai Sangsok led about 100 people in demonstrating their opposition to the Energy Ministry's policy for building a nuclear power plant in the Sirindhorn District, Ubon Ratchathani Province over the next 5 to 6 years.

Wannarat accepted a letter from the Thai Network Against Nuclear Power Plants stating their opposition to the plant, and clarified that the Government has no official plans for constructing a Nuclear Power Plant in Thailand.

He said authorities are currently studying the pros and cons of the project, while saying that the situation in Japan has further postponed any possible construction plans.

He said Thailand needs to make security their number one priority in considering construction projects.

Meanwhile, Wannarat pointed out that Thailand still has alternative sources for creating energy such as biomass, hydro energy, wind energy, and solar energy.

He said solar energy has the ability to generate around 500 megawatts within 15 years.

He also urged all Thais to help save energy.

On the other hand, Sodsai said that the Thai Network Against Nuclear Power Plants will continue to reveal negative facts about the construction of a Nuclear Power Plant, which she claims the government is hiding from the public.