Nuclear Power Developments: Could Small Modular Reactor Power Plants be a “Game Changer”? – The ASEAN Perspective

Presently, around 13% of the world's electricity is generated by nuclear. Pro-nuclear opinion is that nuclear power is safe, clean, cost-effective, and should be expanded fast, world-wide, to combat the rise in carbon emissions. The contra opinion is that nuclear power is flawed - primarily because it is seen as not safe enough, especially after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Other objections come from concerns about security, large capital investments, and negative public perceptions. The opinions towards nuclear are thus sharply polarized. Several countries have already begun phasing out nuclear power after being committed to it for many years. However, it is arguably unsustainable to completely rule out nuclear from the energy mix, especially in the case of fast developing economies in the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Presently, there is renewed interest in the use of small and medium sized reactors (SMRs) of sizes 25 - 150MW. Their small size and modularity in design raises the expectation of SMRs being a “game changer” for the nuclear industry in the coming decades. This paper provides a rationale on the use of SMRs and their relevance to ASEAN. We will consider what is meant by “safe design”, why SMRs have a better possibility than the traditional large plant of achieving it, and what the suggested “critical success factors” are.