The United States (US) is in talks with several Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries to deploy small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), as global interest in low-carbon energy sources grows.
US officials have discussed the issue with their counterparts from the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, said Andrew Light, assistant secretary of energy for international affairs at the Department of Energy.
The US can “provide intergovernmental discussions on the current SMR array,” he told reporters at the Singapore International Energy Week conference on Tuesday (Oct 22, 2020).
Southeast Asia, home to more than half a billion people, is considering nuclear power as a way to meet rapidly rising energy needs, while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
The Philippines aims to have its first nuclear power plant (NPP) by 2032, and Vietnam and Indonesia are looking to adopt the technology.
Unlike traditional nuclear reactors-large facilities that take years to build-SMRs are much smaller and can be built in a factory, shipped by truck or train, then assembled on site, saving time and money.
Although it is being developed by several US companies, the technology is not yet being used on a large scale commercially.
Light said that he had discussions with officials in Singapore, which is considering building modular reactors. Officials also met with counterparts from Thailand, which is in the process of renewing an agreement with the US to share non-weapon nuclear equipment.
