KUCHING — The government is studying the possibility of implementing nuclear energy projects in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah due to the high demand for stable energy in both regions, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), said the suitability of locations near water sources such as rivers, seas or large lakes was a key consideration in the ongoing feasibility study for nuclear plant cooling systems.

“For Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, nuclear projects are viable because what we need now is a constant energy source.

“In Sarawak, there is no issue because hydropower already contributes almost 70 per cent, while in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, hydropower resources are not as abundant due to their heavier reliance on gas and diesel, which are still based on non-clean sources,” he told reporters after officiating the MUSCS Pickleball Arena here today.

He said no final decisions had been made regarding the technology, location or capacity to be used, as the government was still conducting a comprehensive study coordinated by MyPower Corporation, the implementing agency of the National Nuclear Energy Programme.