The Iran war has exposed South-east Asia's heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil and gas, after disruption in the Strait of Hormuz hit supplies and fed price swings across the region. The strait carries 20% of global oil trade. [1]
Citi commodity strategist Arkady Gevorkyan said disruptions in oil and gas have pushed up electricity generation costs and the price of baseload power, making nuclear energy an attractive alternative for secure power generation. [1]
Dr Tan-Soo Jie-Sheng of the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy said the conflict has "reinforced and accelerated the underlying rationale for nuclear energy," but added that such a strategy depends on long-term commitment and resolve. [1]
South-east Asian governments and power planners are increasingly looking at nuclear energy as a secure, low-carbon and reliable baseload source to diversify supply. Nuclear plants emit no greenhouse gases, use fewer natural resources and can run around the clock with a small land footprint, which could help heavy industry and data centres. [1]
Interest in nuclear power in the region predates the conflict. Rising electricity demand, decarbonisation goals, land constraints and the uneven output of solar and wind have all pushed policymakers to examine alternatives. Renewable energy remains attractive, but weather dependence makes it less consistent than nuclear for steady power supply. [1]
Experts said nuclear power is not an immediate fix. It requires large spending, long planning cycles and sustained political backing before any project can deliver electricity at scale. [1]
