Ever-increasing nuclear energy interest in Southeast Asia as global oil issues weigh

The world is facing significant oil supply shortages, and amidst that chaos, Southeast Asia has been particularly hard hit, leading to a dramatic increase in plans to develop nuclear power options across the region.

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The search for energy diversification, along with growing energy supply uncertainty on the back of Middle East issues, has seen a number of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states ramping up groundwork for nuclear energy development.

The oil crisis has come as ASEAN’s energy demand is set to surge over the next two decades. Nuclear power is considered to offer a proven, reliable and low-carbon solution that complements renewables and strengthens energy security. According to ASEAN, this underscores the need for more countries to explicitly recognise nuclear as a viable pathway for reducing fossil fuel dependence.

The World Nuclear Association recently reported that among the ASEAN members, Singapore and Thailand are now including nuclear energy as a focus, signalling a bold shift in the region’s energy narrative.

Others in the Southeast Asian region have also signalled their early intents to include nuclear as part of their own energy transition. Indonesia and Vietnam are laying the groundwork for nuclear capacity-building, recognising that expertise and infrastructure are essential for deployment.

A CY22 report concluded nuclear energy could supply ~10% of Singapore’s energy needs, helping its power sector achieve net-zero carbon emissions by CY50.

Singapore’s National Environment Agency recently announced it will issue tenders to commission three studies on nuclear safety standards and environmental considerations for the potential introduction of nuclear energy.

The studies will examine different aspects of nuclear safety: safety standards; international environmental standards and regulatory frameworks for nuclear facilities; and environmental considerations for the potential deployment of nuclear energy in Singapore.

In late March, Vietnam and Russia signed an agreement to collaborate in the construction of the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant in Vietnam, which will feature two VVER‑1200 reactors.

The nation’s national assembly has approved the government’s proposal to restart the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project.

The Vietnamese government recently re-started its nuclear energy ambitions – citing energy security, development and net zero targets – and has been exploring the possibilities of small modular reactors.

The Philippines is another Southeast Asian nation fast-tracking its nuclear plans. The Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a comprehensive framework for the country’s first commercially developed and operated nuclear power plant.

And in recent years, nuclear power has also become a hot topic of discussion in Malaysia. A significant oil and gas-producing country, Malaysia is facing energy security issues, with electricity demand expected to increase steadily.

Nuclear energy is being considered as a future option to support a surge in energy demand because of its ability to provide continuous electricity generation.

The WNA said ASEAN can provide a regional platform for partnership between Southeast Asian countries on nuclear development to enable collaboration on regulatory, financing, supply chain and workforce.

Established nuclear nations such as China, France, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US are already signalling support for ASEAN’s development efforts.

While Australia’s nuclear power plans collapsed with the coalition’s loss in the last federal election, the country is blessed with significant uranium resources that could fuel much of the new nuclear energy growth in the Southeast Asia region.

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