Thailand: Nuclear power plants moved out of South

Ubon Ratchathani and Nakhon Sawan are picked as the principal locations of five nuclear power plants, with combined capacity of 5,000 megawatts, said a source from the Energy Ministry.

He cited huge local resistance in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, which made it impossible to locate the power plants in the two Southern provinces.

Advisor Burns & Roe Asia earlier shortlisted Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani from 17 locations, as the two provinces can accommodate the light-water reactor (LWR) technology. However, the ministry’s officials have so far failed to reconcile with local communities.

“By changing the locations, we will need to reconsider the technology choice,” the source said.

The Nation