Malaysia exploring nuclear power options to meet growing energy demand
Growing energy demands and pressure to address climate change concerns have brought nuclear power back to the national agenda, after years on the sidelines.
A nuclear power worker in Malaysia.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is taking steps to reintroduce nuclear power into its long-term energy strategy, as the country faces growing electricity demands and increasing pressure to combat climate change.
After years on the back burner, the government has restarted planning for nuclear energy, with preparations underway to explore small modular reactors in remote places on the peninsula.
"We have made (a) public announcement - that nuclear is one of the options we're looking at,” Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof told CNA.
“But of course when (it comes) to nuclear, we have to go into all the details, working with internationals to get endorsement, to sign all the agreements, and more importantly, to engage the public," added Fadillah, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation.
Malaysia began its nuclear journey over 50 years ago, initially focusing on research.
A shift toward nuclear power planning started in 2011, but the Fukushima disaster and a subsequent change in government in 2018 led to the plan being shelved.
DOUBTS LINGER AMONG THE PUBLIC
The current administration is reactivating those efforts - but winning public support could prove to be the biggest challenge.
“Fukushima actually left lasting impressions on Malaysians, and they have legitimate doubts whether we are ready to manage such a complex and high-risk technology,” said Theiva Lingam, legal advisor at non-governmental environmental organisation Friends of the Earth Malaysia.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on Mar 11, 2011, triggered a massive tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant’s power supply and cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and spew large amounts of radiation.
Lingam added: “I think it would still be difficult to convince the public, because, again, it's a question of safety, transparency. And of course, at the end of the day … where is the waste going to be kept?"
Environmental advocates also argued that Malaysia should focus on accelerating renewable energy deployment instead.
"If we are pushing for the ambition of (getting to) net zero by 2050, we should push for a direct transition towards renewable energy, such as solar and wind and/ a total phase out of fossil fuel," said Hamizah Shamsudeen, a climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace Malaysia.
But there are limitations to renewable sources, with officials noting that they cannot reliably serve as base load power sources.
"We cannot use solar and wind as base load because they are intermittent. Like it or not, we have to see nuclear power as an option, otherwise we cannot fulfil the net zero emission (target),” said Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Chang Lih Kang.
“Besides that, we also cannot cope with the energy demand which is getting increasingly important, especially (with) more investors coming in, including data centers. Energy consumption is very high.”
Malaysia recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States on civil nuclear cooperation and has also pledged to explore a small modular reactor with Russia.
REGIONAL MOVES
Other countries in the region are making similar moves.
World Nuclear Association’s head of policy and industry engagement King Lee said a “sea of change” has emerged across Asia in terms of policy.
"Bangladesh is constructing two reactors right now. The first unit is nearly complete and we expect the first unit to start operation by the end of this year. And recently, this year, Vietnam have declared their intention is to have the two units up and running by 2030,” he noted.
“The other countries in Southeast Asia are the Philippines and Indonesia (which) have plans for nuclear energy. The Philippines have a reactor that has been built but (isn't in operation yet).”
Other challenges remain, such as Malaysia having ratified only half of the 16 international documents required for a civil nuclear programme.
The government is in the midst of amending its Atomic Energy Licensing Act, which is the primary legislation governing nuclear activities in Malaysia, to comply with standards required by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The country also currently has only about 30 skilled workers in the nuclear field. Experts estimate it will need to expand that workforce by at least 10 times to meet its 2035 nuclear energy goals.
