Can Asean decarbonise without nuclear power?

 As demand for electricity continues to grow, relying on a single technology is unlikely to provide the resilience, affordability, and reliability that future power systems require.

From MyPower Corporation

In recent years, nuclear energy is experiencing a renewed wave of interest, often referred to as the Nuclear Renaissance, as countries seek practical solutions to achieve ambitious decarbonisation targets, while maintaining reliable electricity supply.

This revived interest is becoming increasingly relevant in Southeast Asia, where rapid economic growth and rising electricity demand are placing greater pressure on governments to balance energy security, affordability, and sustainability.

According to the International Energy Agency, Southeast Asia’s energy demand is projected to increase by around 25% by 2035. At the same time, eight countries in Asean have committed to achieve net zero emissions within the coming decades.

Meeting both objectives presents a significant challenge. While renewable energy remains central to Asean’s energy transition, the question is whether it can, on its own, deliver the scale, reliability, and system stability required to support the region’s future electricity needs.

Several Asean countries have started positioning nuclear energy as part of that conversation.

Vietnam has announced the resumption of the Ninh Thuận nuclear power project, targeting completion by 2030. Indonesia plans to commission its first nuclear power plant between 2032 and 2034, while the Philippines aims to develop 1,200 MW of nuclear capacity by 2032, expanding this to 4,800 MW by 2050.

Rather than signalling a shift away from renewable energy, these developments reflect growing recognition that achieving deep decarbonisation may require a broader portfolio of low-carbon technologies.

Malaysia is no exception in embarking on this journey and had announced its intention under the 13th Malaysia Plan to explore nuclear energy as part of its long-term low-carbon electricity strategy.

To support this effort, the Malaysia Programme Office for Power Electricity Reform (MyPower Corporation) has been designated as the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation (NEPIO) to lead and coordinate the country’s plan to explore nuclear energy for low carbon electricity generation.

MyPower Corporation is currently undertaking four key areas: policy and regulatory, project development (which includes economics, siting, technology and industry), stakeholder engagement and communications; and human capital development.

These studies aim to assess Malaysia’s readiness across the institutional, regulatory, technical and human capital dimensions, enabling the government to make an informed decision on the possibility that nuclear energy should eventually form part of the country’s electricity mix.

The outcome of the study will support the discussion on the best technology option for Malaysia.

Rather than being framed as a choice between one resource and another, electricity planning is a system challenge rather than a technology competition.

Every generation source – whether nuclear, solar, hydropower, wind or battery energy storage – must be evaluated not only on its carbon footprint, but also on its ability to support a reliable, resilient and affordable electricity system.

Malaysia’s current electricity generation mix remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, with approximately 80% coming from coal and natural gas, while renewable energy contributes around 20%.

With Malaysia’s commitment to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2044, replacing dependable baseload generation will be one of the country’s greatest energy planning challenges.

Renewable energy will continue to play an essential role in this transition. Malaysia possesses significant solar and hydropower potential and accelerating renewable deployment should remain a national priority.

However, high variable renewable penetration such as solar remains a system challenge. To overcome this, large investments in energy storage, transmission upgrades, reserve capacity and system flexibility are needed to maintain grid stability.

Experience from several countries illustrates that rapidly expanding intermittent renewable generation without corresponding grid readiness can create operational constraints and reliability concerns.

In this context, nuclear energy emerges as a complement to renewable energy, enabling countries to decarbonise while still delivering a dependable supply.

The UK, for example, continues to regard nuclear energy as a critical component of maintaining energy security and system reliability despite substantial renewable energy deployment.

Ultimately, the question is not whether Asean should choose nuclear energy over renewable energy. The region’s decarbonisation ambitions will require both.

As electricity demand continues to grow, relying on a single technology is unlikely to provide the resilience, affordability and reliability that future power systems demand.

Malaysia is on the right track by exploring nuclear energy as an alternative, as this could provide the most suitable mix of solutions to support long-term national development and deliver the best outcomes for the rakyat. - FMT

MyPower Corporation is the government agency coordinating electricity sector reforms and nuclear power planning.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.