Dr. Rosli Darmawan, the Director General of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, shared with Jurutera the potential and benefits of integrating nuclear power into Malaysia’s energy mix.
Malaysia’s energy sector is currently undergoing a major transformation in tandem with the global energy transition — shifting from fossil-based sources with high carbon emissions intensity to clean and renewable energy (RE) sources such as wind power, solar power, bioenergy, and hydroelectric power. This transformation aims to address the energy trilemma of security, affordability, and sustainability.
Non-RE sources, including coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy, are finite and will deplete over time. Hence, the emphasis is now on RE sources. Malaysia’s Power Generation Development Plan 2019 considers the energy trilemma through the implementation and adoption of the Government’s policies and planning criteria. According to Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s Report on the Peninsular Malaysia Generation Development Plan 2019 covering the period 2020–2030, Malaysia’s electricity demand over the next 11 years is expected to grow at a rate of 1.8% per annum. Over the same period, 9,321 MW of new capacity is required to meet the demand growth, replace retiring power plants, and ensure system reliability. The reserve margin is projected to fall below 25% by 2030.
While RE is widely promoted as the future of energy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nuclear power has also emerged as a potential component of Malaysia’s energy mix. This consideration is based on the United Nations’ agenda to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and limit the global average temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Nuclear energy is considered a reliable and clean energy source that can bridge the gap caused by the intermittent nature of RE sources.
Nuclear energy is also deemed critical to the global clean and sustainable energy transition, which is key to achieving net-zero emissions — referring to a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it. At the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in 2023, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the UAE consensus reflected a clear commitment to triple RE and double energy efficiency by 2030. The aim is to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 and maintain the increase in global average temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Malaysia is among the parties that have committed to the COP28 consensus.
The Malaysian government has set a goal to achieve 70% RE installed capacity by 2050 through the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), which was launched in August 2023. Currently, Malaysia’s energy sources are predominantly fossil fuels, with coal and natural gas contributing to over 80% of local electricity generation. Despite this, Malaysia holds vast potential for RE, particularly from solar and other sources. Scientists and policymakers increasingly recognize that nuclear energy is one of the best alternatives to consider when replacing fossil fuels.
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