Southeast Asia’s nuclear energy ambitions dashed by public opinion

As of 2023, there are 422 operable nuclear power reactors in the world, but none from SEA.

After the nuclear disasters at Chernobyl in Russia and Fukushima Daiichi in Japan, nuclear power has had a negative lasting impact on public perception. Whilst some regions have been able to revive the use of nuclear energy, Southeast Asia has yet to see its first operational nuclear power plant (NPP).

“The case for Southeast Asia nations, amongst the challenges, is addressing misperceptions and misrepresentations to strengthen the public acceptance and social license for the reliable, safe, low-carbon energy source,” Beni Suryadi, Manager, Policy Research and Analytics, ASEAN Centre for Energy, told Asian Power

“There are technical answers to outstanding issues like nuclear waste disposal, but it has taken very difficult traction in the public due to continuous misinformation coming from Hollywood movies and extreme non-government organisations,” Dr. Carlo Arcilla, Director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) explained.

The Philippines is amongst the countries in Southeast Asia with a significantly advanced nuclear power development plan. It is currently exploring plans to revive the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which has two units of 600 Megawatts electric (MWe). It is also considering the development of small modular reactors (SMR).

Aside from the Philippines, countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand have also explored the nuclear energy source. According to the World Nuclear Association, Indonesia eyes larger units, but plans have so far been postponed and are projected to be deployed in 2045. Vietnam and Thailand’s plans meanwhile are either delayed or pending commitment.

Other Southeast Asian countries have also expressed interest or started exploring plans to develop nuclear, but to date, nuclear power remains on the drawing board.

“A glimpse of hope to witness nuclear deployment in ASEAN has come to light as all ASEAN countries have set energy-climate commitments that require ASEAN to be carbon neutral by 20502060,” Suryadi said.

“Consequently, as the region that still has a heavy reliance on coal, ASEAN nations will see pathways to carbon neutrality in the next decade by slowly phasing out coal and replacing it with renewable and alternative energy, one of which is nuclear energy.”

Nuclear power can be seen as a costeffective alternative to coal due to its technical similarity with coal-fired power plants. Likewise, NPPs have the ability to maintain the generating capacity and ensure continued baseload capacities to meet the growing demands whilst switching to lowcarbon electricity, Suryadi said.

Arcilla also noted that the initial high cost of developing nuclear power plants has been mitigated by South Korea’s construction of four brand new, large NPPs in the UAE, and China’s construction of three NPPs in Pakistan.

Improving transparency

To help debunk misperceptions about nuclear power, Arcilla suggests improving transparency which governments can now execute through social media campaigns, through which they could highlight decades-old advantages of nuclear. Similarly, Suryadi said ASEAN leaders need to clearly relay scientific facts, such as solid safety records of NPPS despite a history of severe accidents, considering a new generation of power reactor technologies is now available.

ASEAN leaders also need to engage the public and stakeholders, such as policy decision-makers, and civil society. They must be able to address concerns relating to nuclear power safety and radioactive waste. On top of this, the nuclear industry, ASEAN governments, and financial institutions need to come together to bring the capital costs of building NPPs lower whilst also shortening construction time.

“On the government level, awareness of the benefits of nuclear energy is still unequal, as well as the safety concerns often raised when dealing with all kinds of nuclear use,” Suryadi said.

“Even with significant research having been done, facts are not being disseminated effectively to make nuclear a viable choice for future capacity planning yet.”

On the other hand, whilst public support varies across countries, sentiments are generally positive when nuclear deployment is linked to climate change prevention. There could be a stronger and more widespread positive perception of nuclear deployment if its promotion is