BRICS and ASEAN Nuclear Energy Cooperation: Opportunities and Challenges

The article analyzes the opportunities and challenges of cooperation between BRICS and ASEAN in the field of nuclear energy within the context of an emerging new architecture of international energy relations. The relevance of this research stems, on the one hand, from the growing importance of nuclear energy amid the global trend toward decarbonization and the ongoing debate on achieving carbon neutrality in national economies. On the other hand, the 21st-century “nuclear renaissance” is marked by an increasing share of developing countries in global energy consumption, with BRICS nations accounting for a significant portion of global nuclear electricity generation. The authors test the hypothesis that, as cooperation between BRICS and ASEAN in the field of nuclear energy becomes institutionalised, its character transforms from fragmented bilateral contacts into the formation of stable network structures. This network acquires a predominantly centralized character, within which the key exporters of nuclear technologies form clusters of cooperation with partner states, while horizontal linkages among the latter remain limited. The scientific novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive analysis of the political, economic, and institutional dimensions of cooperation between the two major groupings of the Global South, examined through the lens of international political economy. The article explores the prerequisites for the development of nuclear energy in ASEAN countries, institutional mechanisms, and formats of BRICS–ASEAN cooperation, followed by a network analysis of bilateral agreements. The study concludes with key findings and practical recommendations. The network analysis reveals a low-density interaction structure, where Russia, China, and India emerge as central actors. The authors conclude that transitioning from fragmented bilateral links to a stable regional architecture requires the development of unified regulatory standards, educational programs, financing mechanisms, and nuclear safety centers. These measures could enhance the structural connectivity of the cooperation network, strengthen energy security, and, in the long term, transform nuclear energy collaboration into one of the key drivers of deeper dialogue between BRICS and ASEAN member states.

1. Borovsky Yu.V. (2017). Mezhdunarodnoe sotrudnichestvo v energetike: na primere vostochnoevropejskogo rynka atomnoj energii [International Rivalry in the Energy Sector: The Eastern European Market of Atomic Energy in Focus]. MGIMO Review of International Relations. Vol. 56. No. 5. P. 114–129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24833/2071-8160-2017-5-56-114-129

2. Borovsky Yu.V. (2022). Mezhdunarodnoe izmerenie energeticheskoj bezopasnosti: Rossiya I Mir (1991– 2021 gg.) [The International Dimension of Energy Security: Russia and the World (1991–2021)]. Moscow: Aspekt-Press. 323 p.

3. Brutschin E., Cherp A., Jewell J. (2021). Failing the Formative Phase: The Global Diffusion of Nuclear Power Is Limited by National Markets. Energy Research & Social Science. Vol. 80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102221

4. Brutschin E., Jewell J. (2018). International Political Economy of Nuclear Energy. In: Goldthau, M.F. Keating, C. Kuzemko (eds.) Handbook of the International Political Economy of Energy and Natural Resources. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. P. 322–341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783475636

5. Bunina A.A. (2021). Sopernichestvo i sotrudnichestvo Rossii I SSHA v atomnoj energetike [Rivalry and Cooperation Between Russia and the United States in Nuclear Energy]. // USA & Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture. 2021. № 9. СP. 70–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S268667300016434-7

6. D'Yakov A.S. (2023). Malyye modul′nyye yadernyye reaktory: perspektivy razvitiya [Small Modular Nuclear Reactors: Development Prospects]. World Economy and International Relations. Vol. 67. No. 6. P. 47–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2023-67-6-47-60

7. Daldegan W., de Borba V. (2023). The Development Concept in BRICS: An Analysis of Projects Financed by the NBR. International Organisations Research Journal. Vol. 18. № 4. P. 7–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/1996-7845-2023-04-01

8. Fedicheva S.S. (2024). “Toksichnye otnosheniya”: asimmetriya vzaimozavisimosti Rossii i gosudarstv Zapada v sfere atomnoj energetiki [“Toxic Relations”: Asymmetric Interdependence of Russia and Western Countries in the Nuclear Energy Sector]. Society: Politics: Economics, Law. Vol. 133. No. 8. P. 93–-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24158/pep.2024.8.12

9. Friedman E.A. (2025). Nuclear Energy: Boom, Bust, and Emerging Renaissance. New York: Oxford University Press. 232 p.

10. Gartzke E., Jo D.-J. (2009). Bargaining, Nuclear Proliferation, and Interstate Disputes. Journal of Conflict Resolution. Vol. 53. No. 2. P.209–233. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002708330289

11. Hafner-Burton E.M., Kahler M., Montgomery A.H. (2009). Network Analysis for International Relations. International Organization. Vol. 63. No. 3. P. 559–592. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818309090195

12. Jewell J. (2011). Ready for Nuclear Energy?: An Assessment of Capacities and Motivations for Launching New National Nuclear Power Programs. Energy Policy. Vol. 39. P. 1041–1055. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.10.041

13. Jewell J., Vetier M., Garcia-Cabrera D. (2011). The International Technological Nuclear Cooperation Landscape: A New Dataset and Network Analysis. Energy Policy. Vol. 128. P. 838–852. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.12.024

14. Kim P., Kim J., Yim M.-S. (2022). Assessing Proliferation Uncertainty in Civilian Nuclear Cooperation under Power Dynamics of the International Nuclear Trade. Energy Policy. Vol. 163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112852

15. Kroening M. (2009). Exporting the Bomb: Why States Provide Sensitive Nuclear Assistance. American Political Science Review. Vol. 103. No. 1. P. 113–133. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1017/ S0003055409090017

16. Lantis J.S. (2014). Economic Competition and Nuclear Cooperation. The “Nuclear Renaissance” Revised. Nonproliferation Review. Vol. 21. No 1. P. 21–41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2014.880277

17. Overland, I., Sagbakken, H. F., Chan, H.-Y., Merdekawati, M., Suryadi, B., Utama, N. A., & Vakulchuk, R. (2021). The ASEAN climate and energy paradox. Energy and Climate Change. No., 2, 100019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egycc.2020.100019

18. Rameev O.B. (2024). Mesto atomnoj energetiki v kontekste energoperekhoda v Yaponii [The Role of Nuclear Power in Japan’s Energy Transition]. Outlines of Global Transformations: Politics, Economics, Law. Vol. 17. No. 3. P. 46–67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31249/kgt/2024.03.03

19. Roth M.B., Jaramillo P. (2017). Going Nuclear for Climate Mitigation: An Analysis of the Cost Effectiveness of Preserving Existing U.S. Nuclear Power Plants as a Carbon Avoidance Strategy. Energy. Vol. 131. P. 67–77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2017.05.011

20. Thurner P.W., Mittermeier L., Küchenhoff H. (2014). How Long Does It Take to Build a Nuclear Power Plant? A Non-Parametric Event History Approach with P-Lines. Energy Policy. Vol. 70. P. 163–171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.03.015

21. Verbruggen A., Laes E. (2015). Sustainability Assessment of Nuclear Power: Discourse Analysis of IAEA and IPCC Frameworks. Environmental Science and Policy. Vol. 51. P. 170–180. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2015.04.011

22. Wasserman S., Faust K. (1994). Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 825 p.

23. Yakovlev P.P. (2018). Argentina i Braziliya: ot voennyh yadernyh programm k nacional'noj atomnoj energetike [Argentina and Brazil: from Military Nuclear Programs to National Atomic Energy]. Outlines of Global Transformations: Politics, Economics, Law. № 6(11). P. 109–127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23932/2542-0240-2018-11-6-109-127

24. Yergin D. (2013) V poiskah energii. Resursnye vojny, novye tekhnologii i budushchee energetiki [The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World]. Moscow: Alpina Pablisher. 712 p.

25. Zha L., Cao D., Mahamoudou F. (2014). International Cooperative Network for Nuclear Power Plant Projects: A Multidimensional Proximity Perspective. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology. Vol. 62. No. 9. P. 795–807. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2482066