668 
About Documents
The electricity demand continues to rise steadily, as it is essential to daily life—not only for household appliances but also for modern technologies such as electric vehicles and data centers, all of which require substantial electricity consumption.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that global electricity demand will increase by 3.3% in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026. Renewable energy is expected to become the largest source of global electricity, surpassing coal, while nuclear power is projected to reach a record-high output. This increase will come from restarting reactors in Japan, the output in the United States and France, and the launch of new reactors in China, Europe, India, and South Korea.
Currently, nuclear power accounts for approximately 10% of global electricity generation. It is a significant source of low-carbon electricity. Over the past 50 years, nuclear energy has helped avoid nearly 70 billion tons of CO2 emissions. This highlights its crucial role in energy security and in achieving environmental goals related to climate change.
ASEAN member states are also exploring the potential of nuclear energy. Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam have all signed the “123 Agreement” on peaceful nuclear cooperation with the United States. Thailand also signed this agreement on January 14, 2025, which came into effect on July 9, 2025.
Vietnam projects its energy demand to increase by 2.5 to 3 times by 2030 and by 5 to 7 times by 2050. The country plans to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) nationwide and construct a large-scale 4 GW nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuan Province, scheduled for completion by 2030. Vietnam has also established the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute to support nuclear power research and development.
Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources announced the National Energy Plan and the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) for 2025–2034 in late May. The country aims to build its first nuclear power plant by 2034, with proposed sites in Sumatra and Kalimantan, each with a generation capacity of 250 MW.
The Philippines targets 1.2 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2032 from SMRs, increasing to 2.4 gigawatts by 2035, and at least 4.8 gigawatts by 2050. The government is also considering reviving the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the first nuclear power plant in ASEAN, which was built in 1984 but never activated.
Thailand is currently evaluating SMR technology and has signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement with South Korea for development, research, and technology transfer.
At the regional level, ASEAN has established the Nuclear Energy Cooperation Sub-Sector Network (NEC-SSN), which promotes regional cooperation on the use of nuclear energy for power generation. Under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016–2025, the first phase (2016–2020) focused on raising awareness, increasing public acceptance, and providing education about civilian nuclear energy through collaboration with international organizations. The second phase (2021–2025) emphasizes human resource development and capacity building in nuclear science and technology for power generation.
However, the development of nuclear power plants in ASEAN faces multiple challenges. These include geographic risks, as many countries are located along the Pacific Ring of Fire; the need for safe nuclear waste management; safety infrastructure; legal and regulatory compliance with international standards; high upfront costs; limited human resources; and public opposition.
While many developed countries are phasing out nuclear energy due to concerns about safety, environmental impact, and nuclear waste, ASEAN is moving toward nuclear power for electricity generation to strengthen energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Nonetheless, establishing and operating nuclear power plants in the ASEAN region is not an easy task. The balance of risks and benefits must be carefully weighed. The path toward nuclear power in ASEAN will likely face significant challenges before it can be determined whether nuclear power is truly the right answer for the future of energy.
—————-
Tag:
Author:
Ms. Patcha Thamrong-ajariyakun
Senior Researcher
International Institute for Trade and Development (Public Organization)
www.itd.or.th
Publication: Bangkok BIZ Newspaper
Section: First Section/World Beat
Volume: 38 Issue: 12961
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025
Page: 8 (bottom)Column: “Asean Insight”
