Thai Govt Considering A Nuclear Plant

[george]

ENERGY MINISTER

Govt considering a nuclear plant

Country needs to diversity from gas, Piyasvasti says

BANGKOK: -- 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 2007-02-01

[Pattaya_Fox]

Please..........Please................please............don`t build it on a snake swamp

[wintermute]

A nuclear power plant.. in Thailand. I think this speaks for itself folks. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

[britmaveric]

Oh my buddha - can't get an airport right? I fear for what would happen if a nuclear power plant was built.

[Jonson83]

uh ohhh

[lannarebirth]

Who says Thais have no sense of humor? Good one.

[Phil Conners]

OMG, I hope they'll build it in Chang Mai or Naratwhatever, any place as far as possible from Pattaya

[wintermute]

Who says Thais have no sense of humor? Good one.

I wonder when King Power will come in and build a shopping complex adjacent to the nuclear power plant alongside the som tam stands. The pride of Thailand. I suppose when people start "worrying" about the cracks it'll be too late.

[Ijustwannateach]

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Please, they shouldn't even joke about something like this!!!

"Steven"

[Dupont]

Just asked the missus to pinch me. The article is still there, only difference being I now have eleventeen red bruises on my arms and legs.

Thought instantly of Neils nuclear bomb shelter and their stock of fast food from the Young Ones. don't know why Shown me age as well.

Thats probably the level of protection they will provide the population with if they go ahead with it.

Are you sure it was nuclear policy and not unclear policy?

Edited February 1, 2007 by Dupont

[Maxwell Book]

Thailand's dreaming.

Thailand wants to be seen as a world player, but all their nuclear scientists in training are sleeping on the classroom floor.

On second thought, they're good at paper mache which works well with a hot water reactor. Paper mache is also great for patching the containment shield.

[lannarebirth]

Thailand's overseas partner in the nuclear venture is seen here leaving the meeting and is quoted as saying "Exxcccellent! I have just the man to operate this facility. Got Donuts?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mr_Burns.png

Edited February 1, 2007 by lannarebirth

[taxexile]

they should stick to the advanced technologies that they are already expert at.

like vegetable carving.

Edited February 1, 2007 by taxexile

[wintermute]

Thailand's dreaming.

Thailand wants to be seen as a world player, but all their nuclear scientists in training are sleeping on the classroom floor.

Remember when Thaksin talked about a Thai space program? Well, I think this falls under the same guidelines of delusional sangsom induced "thinking." The possibilities for disaster are endless and hilarious at the same time.

[thaigene2]

Great to see the "trial balloons" are back in action - I was kind of missing all the stupid trial balloon distraction-news-reports coming out of the Thaksin Government. Does this mean that whoever was doing this brain-dead amateur stuff before Thakisn's departure is now back at it again for the current regime?

Where's the popcorn!! My favorite comedy is back on the air!

[Ijustwannateach]

They do have one small research reactor, but it isn't energy efficient and is primarily used for generating medical isotopes and doping gemstones, as far as I know...

"Steven"

[Tywais]

They do have one small research reactor, but it isn't energy efficient and is primarily used for generating medical isotopes and doping gemstones, as far as I know...

"Steven"

That is correct. It is a 2 Megawatt General Atomics reactor built in 1977 and operated by the Office of Atoms for Peace.

[Dupont]

They do have one small research reactor, but it isn't energy efficient and is primarily used for generating medical isotopes and doping gemstones, as far as I know...

"Steven"

That is correct. It is a 2 Megawatt General Atomics reactor built in 1977 and operated by the Office of Atoms for Peace.

For the love of god you two... where is it?

PS please just PM me if its Phuket, maybe I can get the business sold before anyone else finds out.

[britmaveric]

They do have one small research reactor, but it isn't energy efficient and is primarily used for generating medical isotopes and doping gemstones, as far as I know...

"Steven"

That is correct. It is a 2 Megawatt General Atomics reactor built in 1977 and operated by the Office of Atoms for Peace.

For the love of god you two... where is it?

PS please just PM me if its Phuket, maybe I can get the business sold before anyone else finds out.

Bangkok

[toptuan]

Only one word comes to mind. Shudder.

[Tony Clifton]

How does one apply a 4 foot thick layer of lead to a Thai built house's walls?

Edited February 1, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[ThaiGoon]

Isn't it fun to make a mockery of Thailand and her people at every opportunity you could?

[LaoPo]

Nuclear plants in Asia....................and the rest of the world:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

LaoPo

[Anek18]

ENERGY MINISTER needs to be educated.. 99% of the times Thailand is sunny

Let me think.. why not use solar power? I understand it's expensive but in a long run it will pay off..

[Ricardo]

If Thailand plans to invest in a nuclear-reactor, why not make it a fusion-reactor, while they're at it ?

[PhilHarries]

Don't worry about it. Took them 40 years to build a bluddy aiport and how long have they been discussing the Kra canal?

But at least it shows that someone in Thailand is looking to the future when fossil fuels are dwindling and prices rocketting. However, given the fact that the technology for a nuclear plant would have to be 100% import, better they devote the efforts of the uni's to trying to develope alternatives and research areas like energy conservation.

Thailand, along with some of it's regional colleagues, could save a small fortune right now for no cost just by turning up the a/c thermostats by 5 degrees in the shopping malls and cinemas (for me they could turn it up 15 degrees minimum).

Even so sooner or later the world is going to have to face the facts. The current use, read waste, of energy resources is unsustainable and unless there is a massive change in the way we live our lives we will have to invest heavily in alternative energies to coal, oil and gas. At the moment, nice as solar, wind and wave/tide power generation is environmentally (and there are arguements some of them are not), nuclear power remains the only viable alternative.

So given the time it takes from conception to commissioing a nuclear plant, without taking into account the Thai time warp, it's right that they should be looking into the possibilities now.

[Casanundra]

Two things jump to mind straight away on this nuclear power plant idea:

1) Please oh please do not give a Thai a big red button to press that has a connection to anything nuclear because you can be sure someone will press it to see what it will do and,

2) When will they announce their intention to develop the Thai Space Program?

[Payboy]

ENERGY MINISTER Country needs to diversity (sic) from gas, Piyasvasti says

how about harnessing the power of hot air?

[John K]

Isn't it fun to make a mockery of Thailand and her people at every opportunity you could?

I think what people are trying to say in so many words is the Thai mentality of ‘don’t worry about it’, saving face, not thinking things out before acting is totally incompatible with running a nuclear facility. We are not talking square peg in a round hole here, it is more of reversed polarity. Even outside of Thailand some of the more critical jobs involve psychological evaluation, and knowledge testing before a person can get involved with that job.

I am not saying Thai mentality is wrong, in fact it tends to reduce stress not only in Thais but with people who interact with them. It is one of the little reasons why so many ex-pats enjoy living in Thailand. Although some of the post jest, there is genuine concern. The underlying truth of the mater is simply in general Thais are not ready. Looking around we see things are just slapped together with the minimum requirements underneath, but are esthetically pleasing, students getting passed ahead who should repeat, and on and on. Should there be any significant earthquake in Bangkok, it will quickly look like Isaan. No doubt someone will try to do to the proposed nuclear facility what they did to the airport. I sincerely hope that this is 60-20-20.

[PeaceBlondie]

Even if they built it safely.....even if they operated it safely for fifty years....they would then have to manage the nuclear waste safely for about 50,000 years!