Forum

Nuclear Power for Thailand

By Anonymous, Created on: 04/09/2007, Last updated on: 09/07/2014

» The Prime Minister has explained the plan for a nuclear power plant to produce energy for Thailand and help Thailand move away from reliance on oil and gas. Thailand is a net importer of energy, getting much of its energy from the middle east at a huge cost to the country. Added to that the use of...

• Anonymous commented : 039;s high reliance on costly fossil fuels, limited availability of renewable energy, and global climate-change concerns. The government is now looking for a public-relations agency to carry out a public education plan to promote understanding of nuclear power. Most renewable energy has much higher production costs compared to nuclear power, which costs about two baht a kilowatt/hour (unit) to generate, compared with 5.5 baht a unit for wind power, 10.5 baht for solar, and 4.50 baht for biogas. Dr Piyasvasti said the study group was prepared to abandon its work if studies showed that other fuels would be cheaper than nuclear. One approach with high potential is believed to be integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), a new technology that turns coal into gas, but it could take two decades to develop on a commercial scale. Dr Piyasvasti's term as energy minister has also been marked by vigorous promotion of alternative fuels through a power demand-side management programme, providing soft loans and subsidies for energy-saving systems.

• 25 replies, 35,706 views