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Next Thai government urged to pursue nuclear project
Bangkok (AFP) Sept 13, 2007 Thailand's energy minister on Thursday urged the nation's next government to press ahead with a proposed six-billion-dollar nuclear power project to safeguard the national energy supply. Piyasvasti Amranand, who was appointed after a coup one year ago, said nuclear energy was vital to Thailand's long-term energy supply and that the next government should pursue it immediately. The army-installed government has set the first post-coup elections for December 23, and a new administration is expected to be formed in January. "Thailand needs a nuclear power plant because oil prices are very high and there is a limited supply of natural gas and hydropower energy. Coal, at the same time, leads to pollution and global warming problems," Piyasvasti said. "The new government should begin the project immediately as it takes time to develop one and to create awareness in the community where the plant will be located," he told reporters. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the country's largest energy utility, plans to open Thailand's first nuclear power plant by 2020 with a capacity of 4,000 megawatts. Thailand currently generates 70 percent of its electricity from natural gas, with the rest coming from coal, oil and hydropower. Speaking at an economic conference in Bangkok, Piyasvasti also said the Bank of Thailand's 30-percent currency reserve requirement should be abolished. "The 30-percent reserve requirement should be lifted in a bid to bring more investment back to the country. The country needs a flexible framework for the financial market," he told the forum attended by over 200 top fund managers. The central bank imposed reserve requirements in mid-December, which at the time effectively locked up for a year 30 percent of any fund inflows coming into Thailand for financial investment. But the capital control rules sparked a stock market plunge in December, prompting authorities to gradually exempt the requirement for most foreign investments to Thailand. Related Links Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
North Korea gives experts full access to nuclear facilities: US
Washington (AFP) Sept 12, 2007North Korea has given full access to experts from the United States, Russia and China on a rare visit to the reclusive nation to examine ways to disable its nuclear weapons program, the State Department said Wednesday. |
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