IAEA expects 350 new plants by 2030
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that by 2030 the number of nuclear plants will increase by 350 because many countries want a stable and secure source of energy.
“Every country wants energy security because it is an essential need. This is why many nations, including those in Asean, want to keep nuclear power as an option,” IAEA director-general Yukiya Amano said at a press conference held at the Foreign Ministry yesterday. Amano is in Thailand to meet high-level government officials to promote the benefits of nuclear technology.
IAEA estimates that in the next two decades, up to 190 to 350 new power plants will be constructed. There are about 432 nuclear power plants so far.
He said the IAEA would not intervene in a country’s decision on whether or not to build a nuclear power plant, but it will provide technical assistance if a country does opt for nuclear power.
“IAEA will also help them make the plant as safe and secure as possible,” he said, adding that a safety assessment would be done before the construction plan goes ahead.
Amano said that after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan earlier this year, some countries had dropped their plans to build a nuclear power plant, some had suspended their plan, but some had decided to go ahead.
Thailand has put its mega-project of building nuclear power plants in five provinces on hold, though Vietnam has decided to go ahead and is building a nuclear plant just 200 kilometres from the Thai border.
Dr Chaiwat Torsakulkaew, secretary-general of the Office of Atoms for Peace, said his agency has drafted a regulation on nuclear safety, which was currently being studied by the Council of State.
Amano said he did not have any particular concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants built in Vietnam or Thailand, though he advised that each country should have a regulatory body and domestic laws to ensure safety. Keeping the projects transparent and building an understanding among people about the safety of nuclear power plants is also important.
“Nuclear power is not a simple matter of right or wrong. The IAEA must realise the situation of each country and learn what local people think,” he said. “The situation in each country is different and there is not one unique concern.”
Amano said that IAEA experts were currently in Fukushima helping Japanese authorities eliminate environmental contamination, adding that the situation was now stable.
