Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Deployment:
Challenges and Opportunities for Thailand

Kanokrat TIYAPUN

Reactor Center, Thailand Institute ofNuclear Technology

Contents
 Thailand Power Development Plan PDP Thailand Energy Assessment
 Electricity Generating
 Nuclear Power Program in Thailand Key Criteria and Requirements for SMRs
in Thailand
 Nuclear Workforce in Thailand Integration of Renewable Energy Sources withSMRs
 Public Acceptance and Stakeholder Engagement
 Challenges for Considering SMRs in Thailand Summary and Conclusion

Thailand Power Development Plan

• Ministry of Energy (Thailand) developed 5 integration masterplans as follows:•••••

Thailand Power Development Plan: PDP,
Energy Efficiency Development Plan: EEDP,
Alternative Energy Development Plan: AEDP,
Natural Gas Supply Plan,Petroleum Management Plan

• The new PDP called “Thailand Power Development Plan 20182036 (PDP2018)” focuses on• Energy Security: increasing power demand to correspond to National Economic
and Social Development Plan with fuel diversification• Economy: maintaining an appropriate cost of power generation for long-term
economic competitiveness• Ecology: lessening carbon dioxide intensity of power generation

Energy Assessments••••••Review of the current situation in Thailand
Assessment of future needs for energy demand and supply
Assessment of available energy resources
Evaluation of technological options use to generate electricity
Development of alternative scenarios
Assessment of economic, financial and environmental
implementation• Plans and strategies• PDP 2023 will be submitted to the Minister of Energy (MOE) for
consideration first, then will open for public hearing in June
2023

Electricity Generating

Peak Power Demand Forecast 2017-2037
Power Demand (MW)
70000

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

02017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Ref: PDP 2018 Rev03

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033

2034

2035

2036

2037

Nuclear Power Program in ThailandPower Development Plan

Key Criteria and Requirements for SMRs
in Thailand• SMRs are varied designs address load requirements ranging fromtens of megawatts to hundreds of mega watts• The standardized designs with economies scale and uniquesafety features required approval from regulators (Office ofAtoms for Peace) for licensing• Significant capital investment cost associated with a large nuclear
power plants, therefore, Thailand interested in smaller nuclear
power plants with lower capital investment and small gridsystems• SMRs provides an option for carbon-free energy (smallerfootprints) with small siting compared to old coal-fired powerplants

Key Criteria and Requirements for SMRs
• Modularity factory fabrication of modules for a simple assemblyon site and reactor units as modules that can be matched demand• SMRs are safe, clean, affordable energy option• SMRs provide several benefits with safeguards, security, andnonproliferation requirements• SMRs offer reducing in protection zone area for emergency
planning requirements• SMRs offer the challenge of building higher capacity grids inremote or rural areas which can be constructed closer to thepoint of electricity needed• SMRs can be alternative method which applied to replace othercarbon-emitting energy generation methods

IAEA Milestones Document• Milestones in the Development of a National
Infrastructure For Nuclear Power, IAEA
Nuclear Energy Series No. NG-G-3.1 (Rev. 1)
2007• The Milestones Approach includes 19
nuclear infrastructure issues, requiring
specific actions during each of the threephases that must be accomplished before
embark on a nuclear power program• The IAEA periodically reviews the status ofdevelopment through INIR missions (13-18Dec 2010)
Thailand can makea knowledgeable
decision on theintroduction of
nuclear power

Development of the infrastructure for a national nuclear
power program Ref: IAEA No. NG-G-3.1, 2007

Nuclear Workforce• To implement a SMR program, it is important to havea well-prepared basic requirement with competentworkforce• Thailand builds on a strong base of workforce
development for nuclear energy• Thailand Research Reactor-1 (TRR-1/M1), Thailand
Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) which operating
since 1977
• Irradiation services, isotope production, nuclear
research, education and training, and public tours• All vital to the evolution of nuclear technology inThailand• For Thailand workforce development is often
identified as the highest priority• Thailand plan to have national capabilities to supply
nuclear workforce with international resources••••

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in
Nuclear Engineering
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)
in Nuclear Engineering
Master of Science (M.Sc.) inNuclear TechnologyBachelorofNuclearEngineering (B. Eng.) – Start2016

Integration of Renewable Energy Sourceswith SMRs

• Climate change combined with the price volatility ofenergy and the intermittency of renewable resources• Flexible baseload supply has the potential to produce
positive synergism among these clean energy options• Enhancing the diversity of technology and fuelsources• SMRs can play a stabilizing role in a grid with a large
share of renewable sources and contribute toreducing the cost of a low carbon energy supply• The synergies between SMRs and renewable energy
could be a solution to an energy challenge• The hybrid system is a new approach to an energy
system which could lead to better utilization ofresources.

Hybrid system

Criteria Before Roadmap for Operating Organization (EGAT)
National level nuclear
infrastructure has
been established
1. NEPIO andRegulatory body(OAP)
2. OAP need to revise
the Nuclear Energyfor Peace Act andMinisterial
Regulation to haveprocesses forreviewing andaccepting SMR
reactor licensing
documentations

Owner/operatingorganization (EGAT)
1. Qualified technicalstaff (experience inplanning andmanaging complex
projects),
2. Reactorengineering andsafety,
3. Power plant
operations,
4. Health physics,
5. Quality assurance,
6. Procurement

Selected SMRs
Technology
1. Based on
proven SMR
technologies,
2. Sufficiently
component
supplier base,
3. Prefer SMR
operational
data from areference plant

Criteria Before Roadmap for the Regulatory Body (OAP)- Establish regulatory framework throughRegulations, national requirements and guidance.

Ministerial- Consulting with key stakeholders.

- Regulators help an applicant (EGAT) to understand therequirements and acceptable ways to meet them.
- Provide a framework by which an applicant can conduct asafety demonstration.

- Regulators facilitate the safe conduct of licensed activities byensuring that the licensee (EGAT) carries out activities incompliance with the license.

Public Acceptance and Stakeholder Engagement• Consideration of SMRs: Licensing, siting,construction and operation• Gaining public understanding and acceptance ischallenging for considering of SMRs in Thailand• Creating awareness of benefits and risks of SMRs
to the local community and public• Listening to stakeholders and local community to
get support from them and building relationship• Start to engaging with stakeholders and openly
discuss problems and difficulties encountered andthe plans to successfully resolve them
• Continue to develop strategy and process throughSMRs lifecycle

Challenges for Considering SMRs in Thailand• National position and national policy Political instability, difficult to finance Government commitment
Focusing on RE + Hybridtechnologies• Public acceptance and stakeholder engagement
 Promoting and participating of the local community• Laws and regulation for SMRs
 Nuclear Energy for Peace Act (updated on 2019) Amendment for SMRs (licensing, security and transport)
 Long times to license new technology• Research on SMRs technology
 Energy markets are rapidly change and flexible systems areattractive

https://www.ivy-emeter.com/

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Summary and Conclusion

Thailand developed infrastructure necessary to carry out a nuclear power program
including SMRs, and IAEA provided INIR mission to review in December 2010.
New SMRs technology can be used to inform policy decisions, government and industry
in terms of financial guarantees and incentives, and human resource development.
For the SMRs project planning, EGAT, OAP, TINT and academic institutes wereestablished necessary requirements and overall structures, identified by the IAEA’s
Milestones approach.
Regulatory bodies (OAP), should establish regulatory framework, requirements andguidance that can be applied broadly, regardless of SMRs technology types beingconsidered.
SMRs technologies can be used for co-generation applications and considered as an
attractive option to enhance energy supply security.
Climate change combined with high energy price and the intermittency of renewable
resources have provided an incentive to consider integrating SMRs with renewableenergy sources.
As a hybrid with renewable energy sources, SMRs as a flexible baseload supply whichhave the potential to lead positive synergism among these clean energy options.