Third time lucky for Thailand’s nuclear power?
Energy officials want to develop small modular reactor technology in Thailand in an effort to reduce carbon emissions
Thailand is embarking on a fresh effort to develop nuclear power generation facilities as part of its plan to increase the nation’s supply of clean electricity.
The country initially tried to adopt nuclear power technology during the 1970s, leading to the approval of a land purchase in Chon Buri’s Si Racha district for the construction of a nuclear power plant by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), but the plan was aborted following the discovery of natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand in the early 1980s.
Nuclear energy was mentioned again in the 2010 power development plan (PDP), with a nuclear power project with a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts set to commence operations in 2020 or 2021.
However, the project was removed from the PDP in 2011 following the Fukushima incident when a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear reactor meltdown and radiation leak at Japan’s coastal nuclear facility in March of that year.
Authorities are pushing a third attempt by including nuclear energy in the latest PDP. They hope small modular reactor (SMR) technology can make nuclear power more acceptable, becoming an approach to help the country significantly cut carbon dioxide emissions.
Q: Why are SMRs important for Thai energy development?
Thailand needs to focus more on a clean energy mix in its energy portfolio and SMRs have the potential to help the country generate more clean power and ensure long-term national energy security, said Nateekool Kriangchaiporn, a senior engineer in Egat’s quality assurance and nuclear energy department.
SMR is a type of nuclear power technology with a capacity of up to 300MW per unit, about one-third of the generating capacity of larger, traditional nuclear power reactors, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The process of generating electricity from nuclear energy emits no carbon dioxide, which is attributed for causing global warming, resulting in negative effects for the world’s climate.
Unlike coal and gas-fired power plants, which emit carbon dioxide from their fuel combustion processes, this form of nuclear power plant uses a uranium-235 isotope as fuel, generating heat energy through nuclear fission without greenhouse gas emissions, said Ms Nateekool.
Heat from the nuclear reaction is used to heat water, which subsequently generates high-pressure steam to turn the blades of a turbine to produce electricity.
Nuclear power plants also ensure a steady supply of electricity, which is crucial for the country’s power security, she said.
This gives nuclear technology an advantage over other types of renewable energy. The sun and wind tend to offer an intermittent supply of power, with volume determined by weather patterns.
This can be a hindrance for solar power generation, though sunlight is abundant in Thailand.
A nuclear power plant also requires less fuel, notably uranium, than other types of power plants to generate an equal amount of electricity, said Ms Nateekool.
Power plants that depend on coal, oil or natural gas need a huge amount of fossil fuels for electricity generation.
Q: Are SMRs safe?
SMRs were designed to deal with the primary objection to traditional nuclear power plants, which is the risk of an explosion if the cooling system has a serious technical disorder, she said.
In 2011, the cooling system of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan did not work properly because the power supply was damaged following the impact of a tsunami. This led to a nuclear reactor meltdown.
An SMR is designed to be safer than a traditional nuclear reactor as its cooling system depends less on electricity, said Ms Nateekool.
Many SMRs use passive cooling systems that are based on natural circulation and a gravity-driven cooling system. This feature allows the removal of heat in the event of a power outage.
An SMR is much smaller than a traditional nuclear reactor, making it a safer electricity generation facility, she said.
Q: How will the government prepare to use SMRs to reduce carbon dioxide emissions?
Under the new PDP, which had a public hearing last year, two SMRs, each with a capacity of 300MW, will be developed and commence operations towards the end of the plan, according to an official who requested anonymity.
SMRs are expected to be developed and operated by Egat.
The PDP calls for lowering the proportion of coal and gas to 48% of total fuel use by 2037, down from nearly 80% in early 2024, while renewable energy should comprise 51%, up from 20% at the end of 2023.
The other 1% comes from nuclear energy and new energy solutions meant to reduce fossil fuel usage and save electricity.
Energy policymakers are considering the new PDP before granting approval.
Despite previous failures to make use of nuclear power in Thailand, Egat governor Thapparat Theppitak said the authority continues to work on plans to adopt nuclear power technology.
Egat cooperated with Chulalongkorn University and several SMR developers on human development, training workers with nuclear technology know-how for the country, he said.
Somboon Rassame, a nuclear energy expert with Chulalongkorn University, said he believes the country will not have a lack of personnel capable of managing nuclear technology.
Chulalongkorn University offers a nuclear engineering curriculum and there have been four classes of nuclear energy graduates.
Egat also plans to ask the Education Ministry to add a lesson on nuclear technology and its benefits to textbooks used in schools.
One environmental benefit of this technology is it makes the country less dependent on fossil fuels, especially natural gas as that fuel supply dwindles in the Gulf of Thailand.
The use of fossil fuels is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2022, Thailand emitted 372 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, with 70% or 260 million tonnes from the power and transport sectors, according to the Department of Climate Change and Environment.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2942305/third-time-lucky-for-nuclear-power
