Nuclear Power Plant Has Future in Asia: Thai OfficialNuclear power has a future in Asia in light of the continent's need for enormous amount of energy for its development, a senior Thai official said Tuesday in Bangkok."Nuclear power plant certainly has a future in Asia because Asia is developing and requires enormous amount of energy for development," said Manoon Aramrattana, deputy secretary general of Thailand's Office of Atomic Energy for Peace, at a press conference. He added that nuclear power is essential not only to Asia but also to the future development of energy, because production of electricity by using nuclear power is the cleanest process people can find at the moment. Thailand will host first forum for nuclear cooperation in Asia in November to promote international cooperation in development of safe nuclear application. International cooperation is the key mechanism for development of safe nuclear application, said Itthi Bijatendratodhin, deputy permanent secretary of science, technology and environment minister at the press conference. The objectives of the forum are to efficiently and effectively promote nuclear cooperative activities in member countries, both power and non-power application of atomic energy, to enhance public awareness on role, contribution and safety measures of nuclear energy benefiting national development. The forum will emphasize importance of nuclear energy to solving global issues of economic growth, security of resources, energy and food and preservation of global environment. It is also aimed to enhance cooperative spirit at policy level among member countries to ensure sustainable and peaceful application of atomic energy in the region toward regional and global security. The basic theme of the meeting is "future nuclear energy and its safety in Asia" and the discussion at the meeting will highlight three main strategies for cooperation, namely promotion of nuclear application, nuclear safety and regional cooperation. Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are members of the cooperative scheme. Among them, only China, Japan and South Korea have nuclear power plants, with Vietnam planning to build one, according to Manoon. Ministers of science and technology from all the nine countries, except Vietnam, will attend the meeting. |
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