Draft #1 Summary_Reader Response: "How can Southeast Asia’s clean energy transition be sped up?"

In the article “How can Southeast Asia’s clean energy transition be sped up?”, Daubach (2019) addressed the challenges faced with the transition towards clean energy, and discussed possible solutions to help accelerate the consumption of clean energy in the region.  The author stated that Southeast Asia is a region with diverse stages of development, where a single solution is not applicable to the entire region. Southeast Asia is the only region in the world where the dependence on coal to produce power has increased, contributing to the production of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. The article also mentioned Singapore, whereby utilizing conventional forms of clean energy on a large scale may not be suitable. The article then highlighted nuclear fusion, which has great potential due to its advantages. However, reducing the usage of energy is equally important, which can be achieved through district cooling. The government and private sectors should also form closer partnerships to reduce cost in key sectors.

While I found the challenges and solutions discussed insightful, the author could have chosen a more comprehensive approach in discussing the solutions, by considering other aspects with relevant examples.

The author explained the advantages of nuclear fusion, and mentioned that existing nuclear fusion facilities are not capable enough to generate electricity on a large scale. However, there are other aspects that the author did not cover. For instance, the potential health risk involved with nuclear fusion. While nuclear fusion does not produce long lasting radioactive materials, there is a possibility of tritium being released into the environment. Tritium is radioactive and difficult to contain, as it is able to infiltrate certain materials like, concrete, rubber and even steel. It also mixes well with water, and can enter a person’s body through several ways, like being inhaled, eaten or being absorbed through the skin. Even though there is a small quantity of tritium in the reactor, huge amounts could be released during normal operations through leaks, and an accident could release even more tritium. Fusion reactors also pose several issues, for instance, a large parasitic power consumption. This means that a substantial amount of the power produced, is being used by the reactor.  This process is known as a “parasitic power drain, and there are two types of power drain. The first refers to when important systems external to the reactor must remain operational, even when the fusion plasma is inactive, and the second refers to the power required for controlling the fusion plasma.

 Apart from the potential health risk, the public's view and agreement is also essential, as certain parts of the region may not be comfortable with the use of nuclear power. For example, in Malaysia and Thailand, the public’s acceptance towards nuclear power continues to be low. Nuclear accidents have also occurred in the past, like the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power accident which took place in Japan in the year 2011. This incident has highlighted the issue of nuclear power safety, and has continued to be the public’s most pressing concern. 

The article also states that policymakers and business should work together to speed up the usage of clean energy. However, it does not give examples as to how both parties can work together to meet this goal. One way to achieve this goal is through establishing a training centre. This could create opportunities for businesses to share their ideas with policymakers, to help them better understand renewable energy.  For instance, the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have launched a training centre, which will train government officials in the region on policy, financial, and technological issues relating to clean energy in an effort to help countries accelerate their usage of renewable energy.

Although the solutions discussed by the author has the potential to speed up the consumption of clean energy in Southeast Asia, a more comprehensive evaluation of the solutions should be made. 

(655 words)

References

Daubach, T. (2019, July 19). How can Southeast Asia's clean energy transition be sped up? Retrieved from https://www.eco-business.com/news/how-can-southeast-asias-clean-energy-transition-be-sped-up/

Nuclear Fusion Power. (2019, July). Retrieved September 27, 2019, from https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-fusion-power.aspx.

Putra, N. A., & Andrews-Speed, P. (2018, June 28). Prospects for Nuclear Power in ASEAN. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/prospects-for-nuclear-power-in-asean/.

Jassby, D. (2017, April 19). Fusion reactors: Not what they're cracked up to be. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://thebulletin.org/2017/04/fusion-reactors-not-what-theyre-cracked-up-to-be/.

Shah, V., & Chaem, J. (2015, March 26). Meeting Southeast Asia's ambitious clean energy targets. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://www.eco-business.com/news/meeting-southeast-asias-ambitious-clean-energy-targets/.