Thailand and the Philippines want to invest in nuclear power.

Thailand and the Philippines are accelerating plans to invest in nuclear power plants over the next decade to achieve carbon neutrality, according to Nikkei.

Nikkei reports that Thailand will announce its National Power Development Plan (PDP) until 2037 next September. The plan includes the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs) with a capacity of 70 MW. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post reports that the capacity could reach 300 MW. The potential locations for these nuclear power plants will be reviewed by the government .

Thailand had considered investing in nuclear power since the 2000s. However, the 2011 crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan halted these efforts. The recent development of SMRs has rekindled the country's interest.

SMRs generate less energy than conventional reactors and are considered safer. The US, UK, and China are developing this model. In November 2022, Washington said it would provide SMR technology to the Thai government.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin discussed the possibility of deploying nuclear power with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Bangkok on March 14. He said the government would study the safety of SMRs and seek public opinion.

The country plans to boost nuclear power amid dwindling gas reserves and rising electricity demand. Bangkok has committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, so it needs a stable power source to replace gas and coal.

Suvit Toraninpanich, Chairman of the Renewable Energy Industry Club under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), argues that the government needs to educate the public about nuclear power if it wants to promote these projects. According to him, the development of nuclear energy is controversial due to safety concerns, such as radioactive leaks and waste management.

The Bataan nuclear power plant in Morong town, Bataan province, Philippines, on September 16, 2016. The project was suspended in 1986 and therefore never became operational. Photo: Reuters

Facing similar challenges, the Philippines also plans to develop nuclear power . Its commercial nuclear reactor is expected to be operational by 2030. Manila and Washington signed an agreement on civilian nuclear energy in November 2023, allowing for the transfer of nuclear materials, equipment, and information between the two countries.

The SMR model is also considered a top choice for the Philippines. NuScale Power (USA) plans to invest $7.5 billion by 2031 to build reactors there.

In early March, a government delegation visited Canada to learn about its experience with nuclear power. "The Philippines aims to have nuclear power within the next decade. We need more knowledge and access to this type of energy," Deputy Energy Secretary Sharon Garin told PhilStar.

The Philippines once attempted to bring the Bataan nuclear power plant in Luzon into operation under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The plan was abandoned in 1986, when he lacked popular support and also at the time of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. For the current President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – the son of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. – building a nuclear power plant would realize his father's dream.

The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to conduct a survey to gather public opinion on the use of nuclear energy.

Most recently, a similar survey was conducted in 2019. At that time, 79% of Filipinos surveyed approved of using and restoring the abandoned Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. 65% agreed to build a new nuclear power plant.

Furthermore, Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy , also plans to install 1,000-2,000 MW of nuclear power by early 2030. Coal currently accounts for about 60% of the country's total electricity supply, while Indonesia aims for carbon neutrality by 2060. Meanwhile, the Myanmar government is increasing nuclear cooperation with Russia.

To date, Southeast Asia has no commercially operational nuclear power plants. Safety concerns remain high in the region. In March 2023, a container of radioactive Caesium-137 went missing at a coal-fired power plant in Thailand. It was found a few days later, but the incident exposed lax oversight.

According to Kei Koga, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Southeast Asian countries should establish standards to ensure safety and prevent the dual use of nuclear technology (for electricity generation and military purposes).

Phiên An ( according to Nikkei, PhilStar, Bangkok Post )

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