Thailand mulls nuclear power to address its energy shortage

Fearing a looming electricity shortage, Thailand has for the first time included nuclear power as an option in its long-term energy planning, despite worries about environmental problems.

The government’s planners believe that by the end of the next decade building nuclear plants will be the most affordable way of meeting the country’s growing energy needs. “We estimate that by the year 2019, nuclear power plants will be cheapest power plants to generate electricity,” said Twarath Sutabutr, an official at the energy ministry. Construction of four conventional power plants has already been approved, but Twarath said the government’s latest 15-year Power Development Plan calls for considering nuclear as a new energy source.
Although a nuclear plant is far more expensive than conventional power plants, the energy produced is much cheaper especially if global oil and natural gas prices keep rising in the future, Twarath said. Thailand spent 912 billion baht (US$26 billion) on energy imports, mainly crude oil, in 2006, up 16 per cent year-on-year, according to the ministry.

About 70 per cent of Thailand’s electricity comes from natural gas, with the rest from oil, coal and hydropower. But natural gas reserves are running low, leaving Thailand scratching for new energy sources to ease its dependence on petroleum imports.

Brunei Times