Indonesia became the first country to join the U.S.-led FIRST program as a beneficiary in 2019, supporting the responsible development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology. (Photo: Indonesia Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency)
Momentum has been building across Southeast Asia in recent days as several countries step up efforts to incorporate nuclear power into their long-term energy strategies.
Indonesia is working with Japan and the United States to explore small modular reactors (SMRs), Singapore is partnering with South Korea on similar technologies, and Vietnam has received support from Slovenia to resume development of a nuclear power plant.
All three countries aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and nuclear energy is increasingly viewed as a potential source of clean, reliable baseload electricity to complement renewable energy expansion.
SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors, typically producing up to 300 MW per unit, about one-third of traditional reactor capacity, while requiring a much smaller physical footprint.
