Caretaker Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha recently visited the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) to observe the progress of Thai Tokamak One or TT-1.
Initially, TT-1, dubbed the kingdom’s first nuclear reactor, was developed from parts of the ‘Tokamak HT-6M’ device donated by the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Tokamak HT-6M was a starting point for high-temperature plasma research that may be useful in aerospace and fusion developments. The subsequent technology leading to the development of TT-1 is expected to provide a clean energy source for powering the nation’s electrical grid. It can also be further developed to benefit the agricultural and medical industries. Researchers are hoping that the technology can be adopted in various areas, including rail system engineering.
TT-1 mimics the sun by controlling power generation from a fusion reaction. The high-energy plasma storage device has an “environmentally friendly” magnetic field.
The TT-1 nuclear reactor was installed in February and saw a successful trial on April 21. Thai Tokamak-1 will officially start operations next month (July) as the government aims to position Thailand as a regional leader in the development of fusion technology. (NNT)
