US to help Thailand develop small nuclear reactors

[webfact]

File photo

 

The United States will help Thailand develop nuclear power through a new class of small reactors, part of a programme aimed at fighting climate change, Vice President Kamala Harris announced on a visit Saturday.

 

The White House said the assistance was part of its Net Zero World Initiative, a project launched at last year’s Glasgow climate summit in which the US partners with the private sector and philanthropists to promote clean energy.

 

Thailand does not have nuclear power, with the public mood on the issue souring after the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/us-to-help-thailand-develop-small-nuclear-reactors/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-11-19

 

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[huangnon]

Fight "climate change" with nuclear power.  ????

 

Not in Thailand, thanks.

[Emdog]

my "line in the sand" for leaving Thailand is them getting a reactor. We know how things are "maintained" here...

 

[Crossy]

6 minutes ago, Emdog said:

my "line in the sand" for leaving Thailand is them getting a reactor. We know how things are "maintained" here...

 

There is already one (maybe two now) research reactor operating in Thailand (it's been humming along for 60 years or so) ???? 

 

I still reckon they should concentrate on solar and storage technology. Quicker and cheaper.

[degrub]

Likely sharing pebble bed reactor designs. You have to base load with something that works where and when the sun don’t shine. It’s a design that self moderates in case of mishap. it is a really interesting design.  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble-bed_reactor

 

[Bert got kinky]

 

What could possible go wrong?

 

[SpaceKadet]

SMR are the future of nuclear. Even for Thailand, as they require no maintenance throughout their lifetime, which can be be longer than 30 years. Just dig a hole, dump the reactor in it and forget about it for the next 30 years. No refueling, no direct maintenance, passive reactor safety. Designs already exist for sizes up to 50MWe, difficult for solar to beat that.

 

Additionally, being modular, you can easy connect more if you need more power. Also there are external "plug-ins" developed that will do desalination or H2 generation.

[FritsSikkink]

Clean nuclear energy? What is clean about radioactive waste?

[Moonlover]

3 minutes ago, SpaceKadet said:

SMR are the future of nuclear. Even for Thailand, as they require no maintenance throughout their lifetime, which can be be longer than 30 years. Just dig a hole, dump the reactor in it and forget about it for the next 30 years. No refueling, no direct maintenance, passive reactor safety. Designs already exist for sizes up to 50MWe, difficult for solar to beat that.

 

Additionally, being modular, you can easy connect more if you need more power. Also there are external "plug-ins" developed that will do desalination or H2 generation.

Yup. Just what many countries need. There's an interesting web site right here. The problem with renewables is that there will always be an energy storage problem for when the source is not around, like nighttime for instance.

[ozimoron]

11 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Yup. Just what many countries need. There's an interesting web site right here. The problem with renewables is that there will always be an energy storage problem for when the source is not around, like nighttime for instance.

The problem with nuclear is that there will always be a waste storage problem. Forever. Did they explain what remedial action would need to be taken for the next 100 centuries after that 30 years?

[Bert got kinky]

Just now, ozimoron said:

The problem with nuclear is that there will always be a waste storage problem. Forever. Did they explain what remedial action would need to be taken for the next 100 centuries after that 30 years?

after that 30 years

By then the regime may have changed, so what doesn't affect them won't bother them.

 

 

[Dogmatix]

I support nuclear power, as it is the only viable option for the world.  But exceptions should be made for incompetent, corrupt countries like Thailand that are clearly incapable of maintaining nuclear facilities safely.

[Boomer6969]

34 minutes ago, SpaceKadet said:

SMR are the future of nuclear. Even for Thailand, as they require no maintenance throughout their lifetime, which can be be longer than 30 years. Just dig a hole, dump the reactor in it and forget about it for the next 30 years. No refueling, no direct maintenance, passive reactor safety. Designs already exist for sizes up to 50MWe, difficult for solar to beat that.

You just made Mother earth cry.

[Moonlover]

11 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

The problem with nuclear is that there will always be a waste storage problem. Forever. Did they explain what remedial action would need to be taken for the next 100 centuries after that 30 years?

Yes they do, but it's long and very technical as one would expect. But you can read all about it here if you so wish. Better to be informed than to make uninformed comments. (A popular pass time on ASEAN NOW)

[Artisi]

30 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Yup. Just what many countries need. There's an interesting web site right here. The problem with renewables is that there will always be an energy storage problem for when the source is not around, like nighttime for instance.

Just open (legal) 24 hour entertainment centres, night clubs  and massage parlours, no excess power to worry about. 

[ozimoron]

11 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Yes they do, but it's long and very technical as one would expect. But you can read all about it here if you so wish. Better to be informed than to make uninformed comments. (A popular pass time on ASEAN NOW)

Not one word of that contradicts anything I said so pull your head in and stop flaming. That document is only a procedural guide. It doesn't address the problem of radiation leakage over or after the next 10,000 years.

[Andrew65]

Rolls Royce doing the same thing in the UK.

[smew]

Hope it is tottaly operated by foreigners and spent fuel rods taken outside of Thailand !!!!

 

[ikke1959]

OMG nuclear power and waste in hands of Thailand... It is asking for troubles

 

[AsiaCheese]

Quote

will likely be deployed in the late 2020s to early 2030s

That's what https://www.energy.gov/ne/advanced-small-modular-reactors-smrs says. And if it's "roughly on time" like the F-35, it'll be mid-2050s.

[wombat]

JFC...

what could possibly go wrong?

[KannikaP]

13 minutes ago, smew said:

Hope it is tottaly operated by foreigners and spent fuel rods taken outside of Thailand !!!!

 

TOTALLY, ask Bert got Kinky!  555

[Bert got kinky]

Just now, KannikaP said:

TOTALLY, ask Bert got Kinky!  555

 

I was going to suggest North Korea. ????

 

[Bert got kinky]

17 minutes ago, smew said:

Hope it is tottaly operated by foreigners and spent fuel rods taken outside of Thailand !!!!

 

spent fuel rods taken outside of Thailand !!!!

Surely a local scrap yard would be able to handle this matter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samut_Prakan_radiation_accident

 

[klauskunkel]

What's not to like:

Unchecked corruption...

No accountability...

No oversight on anything...

 

Uniformed Nincompoops in charge of a country with nuclear power...

[daveAustin]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

Clean nuclear energy? What is clean about radioactive waste?

Better than burning fossil fuels, esp coal which itself emits a huge amount of radiation. 

[Orinoco]

1 hour ago, Dogmatix said:

I support nuclear power, as it is the only viable option for the world.  But exceptions should be made for incompetent, corrupt countries like Thailand that are clearly incapable of maintaining nuclear facilities safely.

+1 

[daveAustin]

Thais as diligent and apt as anywhere when trained up. You’re hardly going to be seeing Somchai from the village playing with the rods!

[FritsSikkink]

Just now, daveAustin said:

Better than burning fossil fuels, esp coal which itself emits a huge amount of radiation. 

Wind energy, sun energy, tidal energy, loads of it but still people want radioactive waste and try to sell it as clean energy.   

[zib]

5 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Wind energy, sun energy, tidal energy, loads of it but still people want radioactive waste and try to sell it as clean energy.   

None of those are "base loads" so you still need another option. Some options are nuclear, coal, oil, gas, hydro.