The government should speed up efforts to push for a small nuclear power plant project to develop an alternative power source, says former permanent energy secretary Kurujit Nakornthap.
Authorities must not let criticism or disagreement sway their determination to develop nuclear power generation facilities, which can help Thailand cut carbon dioxide emissions, he said.
"They should push ahead with the project if it is aimed to serve the public interest in the long term," said Mr Kurujit, who is also executive director of the Petroleum Institute of Thailand.
Mr Kurujit is among energy experts who have voiced support for the state plan to build small modular reactors (SMRs) as part of efforts to promote greater use of clean energy, mentioned in the 2024 power development plan.
An SMR is a type of nuclear power technology with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit, about one-third of the generating capacity of larger, traditional nuclear power reactors, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The reactor is designed to be modular, making it easier for systems and components to be factory-assembled and transported.
"SMRs also require less uranium fuel than traditional nuclear reactors, thus generating less radioactive waste," said Mr Kurujit.
He urged policymakers to start implementing the SMR project because its development is time-consuming, as it can take 5-8 years to get through safety issue requirements and win approval from state agencies and the public.
Energy officials may need to spend three years working on legal issues, said Mr Kurujit.
Thailand cannot depend considerably on certain sources of energy, particularly fossil fuels, as the country is committed to the UN's campaign to cut carbon dioxide emissions and at the same time needs to ensure sufficient power supply at affordable prices, Mr Kurujit noted.
Under the power development plan, set to be enforced from 2024 to 2037, two SMRs, each with 300MW of capacity, will be developed and start operations near the end of the plan, an official who requested anonymity said earlier.
SMRs are expected to be developed and operated by the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, which previously conducted a study on traditional nuclear power plant development between 2009 and 2011.
This study indicated that two plants were planned for the Northeast and the South, with construction sites far from residential areas.
The study was later shelved following the Fukushima incident when a huge earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear reactor meltdown and radiation leak at Japan's coastal nuclear facility in March 2011.