Small Modular Reactor Technologies and Floating Nuclear Power Plants for the ASEAN Region

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

MAIN ARGUMENT

Nuclear energy is not new to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. Although there are currently no operating nuclear power plants in any ASEAN country, several have developed and maintained nuclear research or power programs. Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam all started working with research reactors in the 1950s and 1960s, and Malaysia started in 1982. Due to concerns over rising energy security and climate objectives, several ASEAN member states are once again interested in developing nuclear energy capabilities. In recent years, the nuclear power industry has made significant progress in terms of both technology and its business model. With their small size and scalability, SMRs and FNPPs could be an attractive option for the developing ASEAN economies, addressing concerns about a reliable and sustainable electricity supply. Given the upfront financial commitment and the negative public perception of traditional large nuclear reactors, SMRs are more financially viable and pose fewer risks. The emergence of FNPPs in this decade likewise represents significant progress in the nuclear power industry by creating a mobile energy bank that could disrupt the traditional approach focused on land-based nuclear power projects.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

The realization of a sustainable energy future powered by SMRs and FNPPs in the near term is dependent on four critical factors:

• Innovative SMR or FNPP technologies should be advanced as early as possible with cooperation throughout the industrial supply chain.

• Industry standards need to be established for SMR technologies to ensure some degree of compatibility and interoperability for energy production.

• User countries must be committed to adopting and scaling up SMR or FNPP technologies to enjoy the benefits of economies of scale.
• “Green passage” for transportable SMRs and FNPPs is required to facilitate safe and efficient mobility of these technologies for nearshore, offshore, and maritime applications.

Victor Nian is Founding Co-chairman of the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources in Singapore.

NOTE: This essay draws on the author’s previously published analysis in “Progress in Nuclear Power Technology,” in Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies, ed. Martin A. Abraham (Cambridge: Elsevier, 2017); “The Prospects of Small Modular Reactors in Southeast Asia,” Progress in Nuclear Energy 98 (2017): 131–42; and “Technology Perspectives from 1950 to 2010 and Policy Implications for the Global Nuclear Power Industry,” Progress in Nuclear Energy 105 (2018): 83–98.