Southeast Asia’s nuclear ambitions will require $208bn (€176bn) of investments to develop 25 GW of capacity by 2050, with small modular reactors (SMRs) emerging as the preferred technology despite significantly higher costs, according to new analysis.

Currently, Southeast Asia has no operational nuclear capacity, relying heavily on coal and gas for baseload power.

However, growing pressure to decarbonise and concerns over energy security are driving renewed interest in nuclear technology across the region.