One of designs being considered is China’s 125 MW Linglong One nuclear plant
Thailand’s nuclear regulator is to look into the legal aspects of a small modular reactor programme as the southeast Asian nation prepares for nuclear deployment
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) expects to sign an agreement with the Office for Atoms for Peace, the main authority for nuclear research in Thailand, to jointly study regulations needed for the country to push ahead with nuclear power, said the commission’s secretary-general Poonpat Leesombatpiboon.
The move comes amid concerns over a decline in domestic gas supply and uncertainty surrounding talks with Cambodia on joint petroleum production in the overlapping claims area, a 27,000 sq km area of the Gulf of Thailand believed to be rich in natural gas.
According to the International Energy Agency, about 42% of Thailand’s energy supply comes from oil, 25% from natural gas, 17% from biofuels and waste and 13% from coal.
Under Thailand’s 2024 power development plan, which will be enforced from 2024 to 2037, two SMRs, each with a capacity of 300 MW, will be developed and commence operations towards the end of the plan, press reports in Bangkok said, quoting unnamed officials.
Earlier this month the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) said it was studying SMR designs as it pushes ahead with plans to deploy “a sustainable alternative for Thailand’s green future” that helps boost the country’s competitiveness with affordable energy prices.
Egat governor Thepparat Theppitak said in a press briefing that one of the designs Thailand is studying for potential deployment is China’s 125 MW Linglong One, or ACP100.
Speaking during a visit to China to gather information on the Linglong One, Theppitak said he believes SMRs will be a “game changer” in the global power industry.
Construction of the Linglong One plant began in July 2021 on a site next to the existing Changjiang nuclear power station in the island province of Hainan, southern China.
In 2022, the US said it was planning to help Thailand build capacity for the deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies and to increase investment opportunities in the nuclear sector in the southeast Asian country.
The Bangkok-based International Chamber of Commerce wants Thailand to deploy SMRs to support data centre operations and reduce the price of electricity.
