IS CAMBODIA READY TO GO NUCLEAR?

IS CAMBODIA READY TO GO NUCLEAR?

As a fast developing economy, maintaining energy supplies for economic needs
and consumption has been a major issue on the Cambodian government's agenda.
In the past few years, there has been a pivot from Europe to (East and
South) Asia in the nuclear power industry's growth. While 30 countries
currently use nuclear power worldwide, other states are considering this
option. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam had spearheaded the move to adopt nuclear
energy and was scheduled to operate its first nuclear power plant in 2028 -
but has recently scrapped (or put on hold) the plan because of the rising
cost of the project.

Meanwhile, other Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, the
Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia are carefully considering the use of
nuclear power. In this context, should Cambodia go nuclear?

Public perception toward nuclear power plants worldwide remains negative,
especially after the Fukushima incident. The nuclear industry has asserted
that nuclear safety has vastly improved since then, and that nuclear energy
is clean (low-carbon) which can provide an essential solution to the problem
of climate change. Proponents of nuclear power also claim that few serious
nuclear accidents have occurred and that there have been fewer casualties in
the nuclear industry than in any other major form of electricity generation.

According to the latest ASEAN Energy Outlook report (projection until 2035),
demand for energy is expected to outstrip supply unless strong measures are
taken to manage growth. Cambodia is no exception, where roughly two-thirds
of the population have no access to electricity. As the country's economy
grows, energy consumption has risen. According to statistics from the
International Energy Agency, Cambodia consumed 3,306 gigawatt-hours of
electricity in 2013: a 62 percent jump from 2010. Most of the electricity
consumed in Cambodia is imported. To meet the rising demand, the government
has turned to Chinese-funded hydro-power dam projects, which have frequently
encountered protests from local communities and criticisms from
environmental groups.

While Laos has been dubbed "the battery of Southeast Asia" and may serve as
a future source of energy supply in the region, it is not a long-term
solution for Cambodia to rely on energy imports. Therefore Cambodia has
flirted with the idea of developing nuclear power, though still at an infant
stage, notably by signing a memorandum of understanding with Russia's
state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom in May 2016. Based on the agreement,
a nuclear energy information centre directed at children and students will
be constructed. This is a good first step.

If Cambodia is serious about building nuclear power plants, however, it has
to realise the mounting tasks ahead. Lack of financial support, manpower,
and technical capability are obviously major hindrances to achieving this
goal. Formal education on nuclear power is virtually non-existent, even at a
tertiary level. As a result, public understanding and technical know-how on
nuclear energy issues face serious shortcomings. Interestingly, there was
little reaction by the general public (except among intellectuals) toward
the government's expressed intention to explore the possibility of
generating nuclear power. This does not, however, translate to the absence
of resistance at a later stage, especially when the location of the power
plants becomes known. As such, it is important that the government engages
the public to generate a better understanding about nuclear energy by
conducting surveys and workshops, as well as administering an effective
information centre. Meanwhile, the government should start investing in
personnel development by seeking or providing scholarships for Cambodians to
pursue degrees in nuclear engineering with partnering countries such as
China and Russia.

While the upfront financial investment may be difficult to realise, it may
be possible to adopt the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) scheme, whereby the
construction and operation of nuclear power plants is carried out by nuclear
companies for an agreed-upon timeframe. This approach raises the question of
the technical capability and regulatory oversight power of the government to
monitor nuclear power plants operated by foreign companies. To address this,
Cambodia must work hard to engage in and learn from regional cooperation on
nuclear safety and security, radioactive waste management, as well as
emergency preparedness and response, particularly through the ASEAN Network
of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM).

Overall, the most pragmatic approach for Cambodia given the lack of
resources at this point is to adopt a wait-and-see approach and learn from
regional experiences. Meanwhile, following the signing of the MoU agreement
with Russia, the Cambodian government can lay the groundwork by engaging
actively in allaying the public fears concerning nuclear power through
public discussion and education about the pros and cons of nuclear energy.
"This is important because it is reported that while it would cost the
Japanese government US$188 billion to decommission the Fukushima reactors,
as much as $US60 billion may be needed as compensation for victims."
However, as Cambodia's energy requirements will grow as its economy
continues to expand, it is worth exploring the nuclear option in the long
run. Such a strategy would need to be done with transparency and with
certainty that the benefits outweigh the costs. In the more immediate
future, a realistic choice for Cambodia would be to invest more in
alternative forms of clean energy, especially solar power.

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Link to Original Article:
https://iapsdialogue.org/2017/08/08/is-cambodia-ready-to-go-nuclear/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com