Decarbonizing the Asia-Pacific: Why the Asian Development Bank should start funding nuclear energy

The Clean Air Task Force urges the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to remove its funding ban on nuclear energy to help Asia-Pacific economies meet rising energy demands with clean, firm power. The document highlights that while countries like China and South Korea have successfully used nuclear energy for industrialization, other emerging economies in the region have failed to implement programs due to financing and expertise gaps. It specifically identifies the Ninh Thuận projects in Vietnam and the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines as immediate opportunities for ADB intervention. The author recommends that ADB lift its ban, build internal expertise, create dedicated funds for large and small modular reactors, and prioritize risk-sharing with private and government investors.

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) currently prohibits funding for nuclear energy projects, citing concerns over "risks related to nuclear proliferation, waste management and safety issues, and very high investment costs".
• Nuclear energy is being pursued by several Asia-Pacific nations as a "clean, firm, and dispatchable source with low variability", with China currently having more than 30 reactors under construction.
• South Korea serves as a historical example of using nuclear energy for rapid industrialization, initially relying on loans from international financial institutions like the Export-Import Bank of the United States before developing local expertise.
• Vietnam's Ninh Thuận Nuclear Power Plant 1 and 2 projects, originally approved in 2009 and abandoned in 2016 for "economic reasons", were reapproved in 2024 with a target completion date of 2030.
• The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines remains intact but non-operational due to public sentiment and costs; the document suggests ADB could fund its rehabilitation to provide power "faster and significantly cheaper than a greenfield project".
• To catalyze nuclear deployment, the document recommends that ADB lift its funding ban, build in-house expertise in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), establish technology-specific funds, and use risk-sharing mechanisms to leverage private and government capital.

APA

Cruz, C. (2025). Decarbonizing the Asia-Pacific: Why the Asian Development Bank should start funding nuclear energy. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2025/08/decarbonizing-the-asia-pacific-why-the-asian-development-bank-should-start-funding-nuclear-energy/

Chicago

Cruz, CJ. Decarbonizing the Asia-Pacific: Why the Asian Development Bank should start funding nuclear energy. Clean Air Task Force, 2025. https://www.catf.us/2025/08/decarbonizing-the-asia-pacific-why-the-asian-development-bank-should-start-funding-nuclear-energy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cruz |first1=CJ |title=Decarbonizing the Asia-Pacific: Why the Asian Development Bank should start funding nuclear energy |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=20 August 2025 |url=https://www.catf.us/2025/08/decarbonizing-the-asia-pacific-why-the-asian-development-bank-should-start-funding-nuclear-energy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cruz2025decarbonizing, author = {Cruz, CJ}, title = {{Decarbonizing the Asia-Pacific: Why the Asian Development Bank should start funding nuclear energy}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://www.catf.us/2025/08/decarbonizing-the-asia-pacific-why-the-asian-development-bank-should-start-funding-nuclear-energy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }