Nuclear Energy Development in Asia Problems and Prospects

About this book

Why is nuclear energy in Asia accepted as part of the solution to power shortages and environmental pollution, whilst still regarded with suspicion in Europe and North America? The majority of new nuclear power stations are being built in Asia, 36 were completed or underway in 2010. Nuclear power is seen as one among many technologies that might assist in dealing with the twin challenges of energy shortage and climate change.

The contributors to Nuclear Energy Development in Asia explain why and how five countries in the Asia region (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China and India) have initiated and developed their nuclear energy programs. They demonstrate what challenges these countries face today, what the domestic and international implications of their rapid expansion of nuclear energy capacities are, and what the prospects for future development may be. The case study of Australia as a major uranium supplier is also explored.

Contents

- Nuclear energy in Asia: an overview; X.Yi-chong
- The politics of nuclear energy in Asia; X.Yi-chong
- Nuclear energy development in China; S.Dongli
- The Indian nuclear energy program ; L.Lee
- Nuclear energy development in Japan; T.Nakata
- Japan's commitment to nuclear power: grand scheme or pipedream?; J.Graham
- Nuclear energy development in South Korea; M-H.Yang & X.Yi-chong
- The past, present and future of nuclear power in Taiwan; M.Lee
- Challenging Chernobyl's legacy: Nuclear power policies in Europe, Russia and North America in the early 21st century; P.Högselius
- Implications for Australia as a supplier of uranium to the Asian Region; S.Harris

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Biography

Xu Yi-Chong Research Professor of Politics and Public Policy at Griffith University, Australia. Xu is the author of Powering China: Reforming the electric power industry in China (2002); Electricity Reform in China, India and Russia: The World Bank Template and the Politics of Power (2004) and The Politics of Nuclear Energy in China (2010). With Patrick Weller she co-authored The Governance of World Trade: International Civil Servants and the GATT/WTO and Inside the World Bank (2009). Xu also co-edited The Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds (2010, with Gawdat Bahgat).