- Publisher
- CASE for Southeast Asia
- Authors
- Mathis Rogner (Agora Energiewende)
- Version number
- 1.0
- Publication date
-
21 October 2026
- Pages
- 23
- Project
- Produced within the framework of Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy System in Southeast Asia (CASE)
Emerging technologies series: Nuclear Small Modular Reactors for Southeast Asia
Preface
Across Southeast Asia, governments are re-examining nuclear energy as an option to meet rising electricity demand, strengthen energy security and cut emissions. Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and most recently Vietnam have each announced that they will consider nuclear energy in their future energy mix, with growing interest in small modular reactors. This emerging technology promises firm, zero-carbon power, but whether and when small modular reactors can deliver on that promise at commercial scale remains an open question.
This brief aims to help governments in Southeast Asia navigate this question. It outlines the main types of small modular reactors and their applications, what it would take for them to become commercially viable, and which legal, regulatory and institutional foundations a nuclear programme requires. It then looks at what these findings mean for Southeast Asian countries, given where they stand today.
No small modular reactor is commercially available today, costs remain far higher than those of alternatives, and meaningful capacity is expected only after 2040. More than 80 designs compete across four technology families, and none has yet reached the order volume that factory-based, modular production needs to bring costs down. In addition, most regulatory frameworks were built for conventional reactors, and supply chains, including for fuel, remain underdeveloped.
The brief closes with four considerations for governments in the region. Solar, wind, grid modernisation and storage offer the clearest near-term decarbonisation gains, because they are proven, cost-competitive and available now. At the same time, countries can begin building institutional foundations for small modular reactors now, at low cost and without committing to deployment. Where regulatory and institutional resources are scarce, building the capacity needed to integrate renewables and modernise grids merits priority.
