Singapore has been boosting its capabilities in studying the possibility of deploying nuclear power as one of the city-state’s low-carbon energy options.
Interest in nuclear energy has been rising globally, with several countries in Southeast Asia exploring its use, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his 2025 Budget speech in February.
Within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand have all indicated plans or studies related to advanced nuclear technologies to meet future energy demand.
Wong had previously stressed that Singapore must be prepared to evaluate such emerging technologies carefully to determine if there is a safe and cost-effective solution suitable for the city-state’s conditions.
In addition to geothermal energy, nuclear power is also one of the other low-carbon options that Singapore has been studying as it seeks to strengthen its energy security and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, which currently account for about 40% of national emissions.
This is in line with the country’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
A study in 2012 concluded that the type of nuclear energy available at the time was unsuitable for Singapore.
However, newer technologies have made this energy source safer. Such advancements include small modular reactors (SMRs), which are seen as safer and more compact alternatives to traditional reactors.
Nonetheless, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) last month said Singapore has not made any final decisions to deploy nuclear energy.
But it noted the importance of continuing to build the city-state’s capabilities and work with various experts to improve its understanding of nuclear energy, especially its advanced technologies.
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New institute for nuclear research
Singapore began its journey into nuclear research in 2014, when the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative was first launched.
One of its projects was a partnership with Ukraine to study organisms and blood samples from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which has been considered as one of the most radioactive places on earth.
In July, the initiative was re-introduced as the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) located in the National University of Singapore.
SNRSI was granted an additional S$66 million (US$50.8 million) in funding by the National Research Foundation, allowing it to expand its studies in five areas.
These areas include safety, nuclear policy, the dispersion of radioactive particles, the impact of radiation on living things and the immediate detection of elevated levels of radioactivity.
Agency efforts
In September, EMA appointed United Kingdom firm Mott MacDonald to conduct a study on the safety and technical feasibility of advanced nuclear energy technologies.
This study will evaluate the safety performance and technical feasibility of advanced nuclear energy technologies, such as SMRs, based on their safety features, technology maturity, and commercial readiness.
EMA and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have also set up their respective specialized nuclear teams to support the government’s efforts to assess the feasibility of adopting nuclear energy.
NEA’s nuclear safety division will strengthen its capacity in radiation protection, nuclear safety, security and safeguards, while EMA’s team will focus on assessing newer nuclear technologies, according to The Straits Times.
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Partnerships with foreign organizations
EMA has also been partnering with foreign firms and organizations to advance its nuclear capabilities.
On October 27, the agency signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States’ Battelle Memorial Institute regarding cooperation in nuclear energy capability building, research and development.
Battelle is an independent, non-profit applied science and technology organization that has supported the US government and private sector in developing and evaluating nuclear energy technologies.
On the same day, EMA also inked a letter of intent, agreeing to work with the Idaho National Laboratory towards establishing a formal Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to collaborate on studies, technical assessment, and capability building in advanced nuclear energy technologies.
Additionally, EMA in October 2024 finalized an MOU with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company that allows both parties to develop their nuclear capabilities.
Educating the public on nuclear energy
The Singapore government is aware of the public’s wariness regarding nuclear energy, attributing it to fear caused by high-profile meltdowns, such as the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Soviet Ukraine and the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident in Japan.
As such, Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Tan See Leng, on October 27, announced a background paper on the city-state’s efforts in assessing nuclear energy and its plans on potentially using it as an energy source.
Released at the opening of the Singapore International Energy Week, the paper seeks to inform the public about the benefits and risks of nuclear energy, and answer their “many questions” about the city-state’s plans for it.
According to the 16-page paper, nuclear energy can help Singapore address the energy trilemma, which refers to the city-state’s three objectives for its energy mix — to be clean, affordable and secure, CNA reported.
It also assured that the city-state’s efforts follow the International Atomic Energy Agency’s “Milestones Approach”, a process that guides countries in understanding the requirements for deploying nuclear energy.
The background paper is jointly created by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, EMA, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, and the NEA.
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