Thailand budgets for nuclear plant studies

20 November 2007

[Associated Press, Dow Jones, 20 November] Thailand will spend some 1.8 billion baht ($53 million) between 2008 and 2011 on preparatory work for nuclear power projects in the country, Thai energy minister Piyasvasti Amranand announced. He said that 750 million baht ($24 million) would come from the state's Oil Fund, while the remainder would come from state-owned utility Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). The funds will be used to conduct feasibility studies, including identifying potential sites, nuclear power plant technology, legal framework, human resource training and educating the public about nuclear energy, Piyasvasti said. The minister said that the Thai government would decide whether or not to proceed with the construction of nuclear power plants after the feasibility studies have been completed. He said, "At the moment, we don't have alternatives. We must seriously work on the nuclear power project, otherwise we would face electricity shortage." Under Thailand's 2011-2021 Power Development Plan, four nuclear power reactors with a combined capacity of 4000 MWe will be constructed at a cost of some $6 billion. The units would start operating between 2020 and 2021.

Further information

WNA's Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries information paper

---