Energy Minister

[billaaa777]

ENERGY MINISTER

Govt considering a nuclear plant

Country needs to diversity from gas, Piyasvasti says

The government is considering building a nuclear power plant within the next 15 years, as an alternative source of power, Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said yesterday.

Many countries had nuclear-powered electricity plants, especially Asia nations such as Japan, China and South Korea, while Vietnam was studying the possibility, Piyasvasti said.

"Thailand uses natural gas for 70 per cent of its needs, and if we don't use other types of energy, that will reach 90 per cent in future," he said.

He said depending too much on any one particular type of energy could put the country at the mercy of energy exporters.

Meanwhile, changes to the price structure for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) would be carried out this year, he said.

A public hearing will be held next Wednesday on the government's new power-development plan (PDP), and one of the topics will be alternative energies.

Piyasvasti said the ministry would heed all parties' opinions in the plan, which will be put to the government by the end of this month. The plan will then be used to invite the private sector to bid for the government's independent-power-producer programme late next month and in April.

Tomorrow, the ministry will ask the National Energy Policy Council for its approval to amend related laws and the initial PDP concept, he said. And next Monday, the ministry will propose to the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) that a new pricing formula for ethanol and biodiesel be more closely linked to world market prices.

Ethanol would follow Brazil's pricing strategy plus transport and insurance fees, while biodiesel would follow pricing for raw palm oil.

In regard to the plan to float the LPG price, which is currently lower than in other countries in the region, Piyasvasti said the

EPPO was studying the pros and cons of three options for the ministry to make a decision on later this year.

The options were a price adjustment without "floating", a full floating and a semi-floating structure.

The ministry would mix the B100-formula biodiesel into all diesel oil at 5 per cent by 2011. Thus, Thailand would have no "normal" diesel available after that, he said.

Meanwhile, gasohol would still be sold along with normal diesel oils, pending an expansion of ethanol production, he said.

Piyasvasti said the ministry would this year pay off debts totalling Bt39 billion from the previous government's measures to keep oil prices low.

The Nation

[billaaa777]

I really would have to move if this ever happened. I can just see the government officials now, counting on their fingers and toes all the brides they will get.

After building an international airport in a swamp where the runway is sinking and cracking on a daily basis. Just how long do you think it would take before the Nuclear Plant cracked and blew up?

It’s almost unbelievable that after constructing an airport that is falling apart almost before it was opened that a government official would even suggest a Nuclear Plant. But, I know, it’s Thailand.

[Alf Witt]

I really would have to move if this ever happened. I can just see the government officials now, counting on their fingers and toes all the brides they will get.

After building an international airport in a swamp where the runway is sinking and cracking on a daily basis. Just how long do you think it would take before the Nuclear Plant cracked and blew up?

It’s almost unbelievable that after constructing an airport that is falling apart almost before it was opened that a government official would even suggest a Nuclear Plant. But, I know, it’s Thailand.

Is there anyone who did not have exactly the same thoughts on hearing this?

[t.s]

I really would have to move if this ever happened. I can just see the government officials now, counting on their fingers and toes all the brides they will get.

After building an international airport in a swamp where the runway is sinking and cracking on a daily basis. Just how long do you think it would take before the Nuclear Plant cracked and blew up?

It’s almost unbelievable that after constructing an airport that is falling apart almost before it was opened that a government official would even suggest a Nuclear Plant. But, I know, it’s Thailand.

Is there anyone who did not have exactly the same thoughts on hearing this?

yes, the first thing i thought was lord, please dont give the contract to them as built suvannbhumi. My second thought was that singapore had better hope that the thai military dont lay hands on weapons grade uranium....

Edited February 1, 2007 by t.s

[katana]

Bangkok has had a nuclear research reactor in Vibhavadee Rangsit Road since 1961 and Thailand was in fact the first country in SE Asia to go nuclear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Atoms_for_Peace

(Although, perhaps a little worryingly, the site at www.oaep.go.th seems to be down at present lol).

Edited February 1, 2007 by katana

[Alf Witt]

Bangkok has had a nuclear research reactor in Vibhavadee Rangsit Road since 1961 and Thailand was in fact the first country in SE Asia to go nuclear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Atoms_for_Peace

(Although, perhaps a little worryingly, the site at www.oaep.go.th seems to be down at present lol).

Interesting Katana. You had me worried for an instant but I see that the reactor was built by General Atomics, so, hopefully, no cracks.

General Atomics is a nuclear physics and defense contractor headquartered in San Diego, California. Among other things, it is the manufacturer of the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

[OlRedEyes]

YIKES!!!

Hey, this is getting FUN

[Totster]

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