MOSCOW: At a time when the world is running short on fossil fuels amid substantial rises in power demand, the World Nuclear Association (WNA) argues that nuclear power is not merely a choice for power generation, it is the only way to secure global energy supply.
Of course, not everyone would agree with that assessment, especially in Asean. And while demand for power will rise considerably following integration of the Asean Economic Community (AEC), people are still reluctant to accept nuclear technology, especially after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Despite those reservations, Agneta Rising, the director-general of the WNA, advocates for the benefits of nuclear technology, noting that worldwide, it generates 33 gigawatts of power per year.
With global power needs set to rise substantially over the next 10-15 years, she said the world would need to generate 10 GW of additional power to meet that demand. Ms Rising argued that atomic energy was the most efficient means of filling the energy gap, adding that 50 GW of nuclear power will need to be generated by that time.
"This means we will not only need newcomers, but the countries that already have nuclear power should not be allowed to fade out," she said.
Speaking at the 8th international forum of "Atomexpo 2016" in Moscow, Russia, Ms Rising noted that there are several countries that have already adopted nuclear technology as a power-generating source.
At the same time, Russia's state atomic energy cooperation, Rosatom, is keen to offer its nuclear technology know-how to build up nuclear power plants in several countries in Africa, Europe and Asia.
Vladimir Asmolov, the deputy chief executive of Rosenergoatom, the electric power division of Rosatom, said Rosatom had provided 70 operational nuclear reactors worldwide and was keen to present its technology to build more nuclear power plants and reactors for its clients.
"We are approaching new clients and we are confident in assuring that nuclear power is safe," he said.
Ms Rising noted there are 13 countries that have adopted nuclear power as a part of their power mix.
"This year, we have newcomers from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Poland," she said, adding that those countries are following the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency to stay on track to build nuclear power plants.
She added there were several African countries that had decided to adopt nuclear technology and were preparing to build nuclear power plants.
Having been afflicted by periods of drought, Ghana started developing its nuclear infrastructure and investing in human resources in 2007. The country, which relies heavily on hydropower, also needs to allocate substantial amounts of water for its agricultural sector. Ghana's first nuclear power plant, with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts, is expected to go live in the next few years.
Nigeria, which already has an operational nuclear power plant, plans to build an additional facility in order to diversify its power resources.
Looking to Asean, there are some members with an interest in nuclear technology that are expected to start nuclear programmes over the next few years to meet rising power demand.
After an initial wait-and-see period, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia have all considered integrating nuclear power into their long-term energy strategies.
Vietnam is viewed as the leading country in the area, when plans for a Russian-made 1,000-MW nuclear reactor were approved in 2009. Following the Fukushima disaster, however, the country decided to delay construction of its first nuclear power plant until 2020 so as to assess its potential impact on the environment.
Cambodia, the newest Asean country to adopt nuclear power, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rosatom in November 2015 and is expected to start promoting nuclear power to win over public support, said Tin Ponlok, deputy director general at the Cambodian Ministry of Environment.
Thailand for its part has been slow to embrace nuclear power due to safety concerns, especially after Fukushima. While the country's nuclear power project first kicked off in 1967, the discovery of natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand proved to be a game changer. Thailand still relies on gas to meet more than 60% of its energy needs, although the resource is quickly depleting.
Facing strong opposition to building nuclear power plants on Thai soil, the country opted for the cheaper option of coal. But while there are plans to build two coal-fired power plants in the southern region, their construction has been delayed for years due to fierce opposition.