Malaysia is currently conducting a comprehensive assessment of its potential nuclear energy programme. That assessment includes the study of policy development, legal and regulatory frameworks, project feasibility, industry participation, stakeholder engagement, and human capital development.
This act is being conducted by MyPower Corporation Malaysia and is part of the country’s effort to strengthen its long-term energy security commitment, while also supporting its clean energy transition. “The need to evaluate the feasibility of nuclear energy is increasingly relevant amid a changing global energy landscape shaped by geopolitical uncertainties and fluctuations in fuel supply and prices,” Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister, said.
MyPower is an agency under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra), and is appointed as the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation (NEPIO), tasked with coordinating preparations based on the phased approach recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Malaysia Going Nuclear
Talks about Malaysia adopting nuclear energy were first mentioned last year during the 13th Malaysian Plan. The idea is that the country would throw the power source into its energy generation capabilities by 2031.
As a quick primer and contrary to popular belief, nuclear power is considered one of the cleanest energy sources in the world. The white “smoke” that actually comes out of the massive chimneys is actually massive plumes of steam, generated by the nuclear reactors being cooled by billions of litres of water. Yes, the fear of nuclear accidents are real and is not unfounded, as evidenced by the events of Chernobyl in Ukraine, the Three Mile Island incident in the US, and the Fukushima power plant meltdown in Japan. However, it is essential to note that, in the first two cases, their meltdowns were man-made and resulted from human error, whereas the third was caused by two consecutive natural disasters.
Then there’s the more obvious and current problem now: the ongoing war between US, Israel, and Iran, and the soaring energy crisis that is occurring as an immediate byproduct of said war within the Strait of Hormuz. Needless to say, the goal of making Malaysia self-sustaining in its own energy production is greater than ever.
(Source: The Edge)
