Singapore approaching nuclear energy with 'open mind' but mindful of constraints: Grace Fu
Any decision will weigh safety, environmental sustainability, economic viability and public confidence, among other considerations, says the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment.
Emil Chan Channel NewsAsia 14 Sep 2026 09:51PM
SINGAPORE: Singapore is approaching nuclear energy with an open mind while recognising its constraints as a small and densely populated city-state, the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Monday (Sep 14).
Representing Singapore at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Ms Fu said the country, in looking at possible pathways to meet its long-term climate and energy goals, is studying whether nuclear energy could be viable and is building its capabilities to assess advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors.
"We approach this with an open mind, but also with a clear recognition of our circumstances as a small, densely populated, and alternative energy disadvantaged city-state," she said.
Ms Fu said the country’s approach will be "deliberate, structured, and rigorous", with assessments covering nuclear safety, security and safeguards, environmental sustainability, economic viability, public confidence and Singapore's international obligations.
Before any decision is made, Singapore must have the scientific, technical, institutional and regulatory capabilities needed to evaluate reactor technologies objectively, she said.
To that end, Singapore is steadily developing these capabilities across government, research institutions and its regulatory system, while also strengthening cooperation with nuclear regulators and international partners to learn from their approaches to governance, regulation and safety.
As part of this process, Singapore will embark on the first of three phases of a nuclear readiness review - known as an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) with the IAEA in 2027.
The review will allow Singapore to benchmark its capabilities against the IAEA's milestones approach, assess the country’s readiness to make an informed decision on deploying nuclear energy, and identify areas that require further development.
"The INIR mission is not a commitment to adopt nuclear energy. But it is a way to help determine whether Singapore has the expertise, institutions, and frameworks to make an informed decision," said Ms Fu, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.
She said regional cooperation would become more important as interest in nuclear energy and other nuclear applications grows across Southeast Asia.
As such, Singapore will work with ASEAN member states and the IAEA to strengthen emergency preparedness and response, put regional protocols into operation, expand radiation monitoring networks and information-sharing arrangements, and conduct readiness exercises.
“These efforts build confidence, improve coordination, and strengthen the region's ability to respond to a nuclear or radiological emergency,” said Ms Fu, adding that Singapore welcomes the strengthening of regional cooperation through the proposed ASEAN-IAEA strategic partnership on nuclear energy, safety, and governance.
Beyond its consideration of nuclear energy, Singapore believes that building human capital, institutional capabilities and technical expertise is essential for the effective and sustainable application of nuclear science and technology, Ms Fu said.
It has partnered with the IAEA since 2000 through the Singapore-IAEA Third Country Training Programme to share expertise and strengthen capabilities in the region in areas including nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, radiation protection, accelerator applications, radiochemistry, environmental monitoring and climate-related measurements.
“We are a long-standing supporter of the Technical Cooperation Programme in helping member states harness nuclear science and technology for development,” said Ms Fu.
“We have once again pledged our full TC Fund target share for 2027. We urge all member states to pay their contributions in full and on time.”
Ms Fu said Singapore remains “gravely concerned” over nuclear safety and security amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
“Any attack on nuclear power plants will pose significant and undeniable risks to nuclear safety,” she said.
“We urge all parties to respect the seven indispensable pillars and refrain from actions that could compromise nuclear safety and security of nuclear energy facilities devoted to peaceful purposes.”
Singapore also remains concerned by "unresolved issues surrounding Iran’s compliance" with its legally binding safeguards obligations, Ms Fu said, adding that any nuclear material not accounted for presents a proliferation risk.
She said that Singapore also continues to be concerned by North Korea’s "unconstrained development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes", given the considerable risks these pose to regional and global peace, security, and stability.
As Singapore assumes the ASEAN chairmanship in January 2027, the country looks forward to working with other ASEAN member states and the IAEA to strengthen regional and international cooperation on the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technology, said Ms Fu.
How small modular reactors put nuclear energy back on the table for Singapore and ASEAN
Ang Qing Straits Times Oct 17, 2026, 05:00 AM
SINGAPORE – In March 2022, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine accelerated a global energy crisis, Singapore subtly signalled its changed stance on nuclear energy.
A report commissioned by the Energy Market Authority on the Republic’s energy future had put nuclear power back on the table, projecting it could meet up to 10 per cent of the country’s electricity needs by 2050.
In a geopolitically fragmented world where the land-constrained Republic has limited options to cut emissions, the report highlighted the promise of advanced nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs) in helping to power the country.
SMRs are compact nuclear reactors that can be factory-assembled and installed closer to urban areas due to their smaller footprint.
This came a decade after Singapore in 2012 ruled out the use of conventional nuclear plants, due to their risks for the small and dense city-state. But Singapore had at that time kept the door open for future nuclear energy technologies.
Four years after the report was published, the Republic is thoroughly examining a nuclear future for itself – not just to meet its climate commitments, but also to safeguard its energy security.
Singapore now relies on burning natural gas, the cleanest of planet-warming fossil fuels, for about 95% of its energy needs.
But South-east Asia is grappling with the worst energy crisis since the 1970s, this time due to a war waged by Israel and the US on Iran.
Iran responded to the attacks by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which supplies of oil and gas are shipped from the Middle East to the rest of the world.
About 20% of the South-east Asian region’s liquefied natural gas imports in 2025 transited through this maritime choke point, with Singapore accounting for over half of these volumes, according to an International Energy Agency report published in October.
Energy analysts, observers and researchers told The Straits Times that geopolitical instability, the global agenda to decarbonise, and advancements in nuclear technology have helped revive the region’s ambitions to tap the energy source.
ASEAN countries including Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are taking steps to incorporate nuclear energy into their fuel mix.
Nuclear security researcher Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano attributed the growing interest of ASEAN countries in nuclear energy to the converging pressures of safeguarding energy security, rising electricity demand from energy-intensive industries and data centres, and shifting away from planet-warming fossil fuels.
“Nuclear is increasingly being considered not simply as a climate solution but also as a potential source of reliable, low-carbon electricity that can complement renewables,” said the research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).
While the Singapore Government has not made a decision on nuclear energy, it has beefed up its capacity to study the energy source, while announcing its plan to undergo a readiness assessment by the UN atomic watchdog in 2027.
It has also signed at least seven pacts with countries and firms within the nuclear energy ecosystem over the past two years.
A secure energy future
Experts point to the variety of uranium fuel sources and the ability of countries to stockpile it as being among the ways that nuclear reactors can contribute to energy security.
In April, Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology in the Ministry of Trade and Industry Tan See Leng told Parliament that five one-inch-tall uranium pellets can generate the same amount of electricity as one Olympic-sized swimming pool of natural gas.
A spokesman for the World Nuclear Association (WNA), an international organisation representing the civil nuclear industry, told ST: “Uranium is sourced from a range of geopolitically diverse countries, and nuclear fuel is extremely energy dense, so many years worth of fuel can be stored on site – insulating countries from the supply and price shocks seen in oil and gas markets.”
Today’s supply shocks are having an effect similar to that of the oil crises of the 1970s, which had prompted countries such as France, Sweden and Japan to embark on major nuclear build programmes, he added.
He said: “Moving away from imported fossil fuels will strengthen energy security across the region.”
David Broadstock of the Asia-Pacific energy industry consultancy Lantau Group said the war in the Middle East is but the latest in a string of energy crises that Singapore has endured since around 2020.
Reducing the impact of such events on energy bills will require a changed energy mix, he added.
“Nuclear becomes an attractive solution here in many ways, since it can produce large volumes of electricity with stable cost profiles,” Broadstock added.
The cost of imported natural gas and power generation makes up more than 75% of the regulated electricity tariff. This means that fluctuations in fuel costs due to geopolitical developments can impact the price consumers pay.
Meanwhile, stockpiled nuclear fuel will be able to produce electricity at a predictable cost.
Across ASEAN, member states have already moved to translate nuclear plans into policy.
Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand now have numerical estimates for nuclear capacity in their national plans, according to the 9th ASEAN Energy Outlook report published in October.
These range from a capacity of 600 megawatts for Thailand by 2050, to Indonesia’s goal of relying on nuclear energy for 12.1 per cent of its electricity mix by 2060.
Malaysia also formalised the integration of nuclear energy into its future energy mix in 2025, although no target figure was cited.
Ming Tan, global practice lead for nuclear energy at engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald, said a regional approach to nuclear power could benefit countries, allowing them to share knowledge, adopt common safety and technical principles, as well as reduce unnecessary duplication of effort.
“This can make it easier for countries to build capability, develop regulatory frameworks and learn from each other’s experiences while fully retaining national decision-making authority.”
A long-term domestic source of energy generation is especially pertinent for ASEAN nations, he said, as the region relies heavily on imported fuels shipped through some of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The British-based firm was appointed by the Singapore Government in 2025 to study the safety and feasibility of advanced nuclear technologies like SMRs.
The promise of the small modular reactor
The global pivot towards nuclear power is in part powered by the rise of advanced reactors, which promise enhanced safety features and less radioactive waste, according to analysts.
According to the Nuclear Energy Agency, an intergovernmental agency that facilitates cooperation among countries with advanced nuclear technology, the number of SMR designs around the world has grown from 98 in 2024 to 156 in its latest assessment published in September.
Over the past five years, discussions about SMRs have moved beyond purely conceptual designs, said RSIS’ Trajano.
He cited developments such as greater regulatory engagement, progress towards licensing in some jurisdictions, and more attention to factory fabrication.
In September, for instance, the US’ Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a construction permit for its first SMR after a 14-month review.
Analysts and observers said SMRs could require significantly smaller safety restriction zones than conventional nuclear reactors. This gives it an advantage over conventional reactors, especially for Singapore, other small island states and densely populated areas.
Conventional reactors typically require safety zones to be established within a 15km to 30km radius from the nuclear plant. In 2008, Singapore revealed it had considered reclaiming land at Pedra Branca to satisfy this buffer. However, the plan was dropped, as the island is less than 30km away from neighbouring Malaysia.
A spokesman for the NUS Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) said smaller reactor fuel inventories and enhanced safety features in SMRs could reduce the potential consequences of severe accidents and, subject to safety assessments and regulatory requirements, could allow for smaller emergency planning zones.
He added: “Newer reactor designs increasingly incorporate natural circulation, gravity and other passive safety systems to maintain cooling, reducing reliance on external power and operator intervention.”
The nuclear incident in Fukushima in 2011 occurred because a power loss had cut off cooling to reactors there, causing them to overheat and melt down.
The SNRSI spokesman cited the tri-structural isotropic fuel used in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, a kind of SMR. Such fuels can improve the containment of radioactive materials by coating uranium kernels in layers of ceramic and carbon, reducing the risk of a meltdown.
The WNA spokesman said that the modular format of SMRs is also an advantage, as they are easier to manufacture repeatedly in factories, instead of needing to build each one from scratch.
He said: “Many of the SMR designs proposed for near-term deployment are not technological leaps; rather, they offer a potential step change in how nuclear is delivered, through factory-based, repeatable manufacturing and deployment.”
The geopolitics of SMR development
Despite the promise of SMRs, most designs remain at an early stage of commercial deployment, said Nick Ash, energy advisory leader at engineering consultancy Arup, which is advising the UK’s SMR programme.
According to the Nuclear Energy Agency’s latest assessment, only Russia and China operate commercial SMRs.
Uncertainty remains over whether their projected cost and delivery advantages will be demonstrated once financing, supporting infrastructure, fuel supply and waste management are taken into account, Ash added.
China analyst Damien Ma noted that while the US still leads on SMR innovation, China was the first to deploy a commercial land-based SMR, while Russia deployed the first floating SMR.
SMRs are touted to be cheaper than conventional nuclear reactors, but the industry has not yet developed to a point where the unit costs can be brought down.
Ma, the director of East Asia-based research centre Carnegie China, said this will still require organising manufacturing in a way that can actually achieve consistent modularity, which can then be scaled.
While Western countries had a head start in developing nuclear facilities, many of them, such as the United States and France, built few or no new reactors in the following years, losing skills, expertise and supply chain capacity.
As a result, the nuclear industrial ecosystems of many Western countries withered after decades of inaction, said David Fishman, a principal at Lantau Group who tracks the Chinese power sector.
“Most of the things that have historically driven nuclear cost overruns in the West – like regulatory complexity, licensing risk, supply chain challenges, project management failures, and financing – are still going to be problems with a smaller reactor,” Fishman noted.
Meanwhile, China has ramped up its nuclear energy capabilities, by continuously building reactors, while its designs have become increasingly standardised and cheaper, Fishman said.
China has also proven to be the only country that has built an SMR and delivered nuclear projects on time and within budget this century, he added.
He said: “Countries don’t just buy a reactor... You buy decades of fuel services, technical support and regulatory engagement.
“So the real question is which countries emerge as the potential nuclear suppliers to South-east Asia and what that means for their long-term political relationships.”
The road ahead for ASEAN
Technology aside, South-east Asia’s decision to deploy SMR technology will also hinge on long-term support, mutually agreed-upon cross-border rules, financing, waste management plans and a skilled workforce.
Nuclear energy remains the most expensive energy source to be considered in the 9th ASEAN Energy Outlook report, which notes that nuclear projects are expected to cost the region an estimated US$236 billion (S$300 billion) by 2060.
Financing nuclear projects is notoriously hard due to their scale, capital intensity, long construction timelines and technical complexity. Investors are often scared off by the risks of cost overruns and delays.
“The constraint on nuclear power in ASEAN is therefore not siting potential or stated ambition, but delivery capability,” the report found.
Public acceptance will also be key to determining the successful deployment of nuclear energy.
Countries in South-east Asia have explored the use of civilian nuclear energy since the late 1950s, but backing has waxed and waned, influenced by factors such as fluctuating government support and global nuclear events affecting public opinion.
This will be key, as the lack of acceptance has historically jeopardised the roll-out of nuclear energy. In the 1980s, for instance, public opposition and safety concerns derailed the Philippines Bataan Nuclear Plant, which never went online despite its completion.
Even if Singapore’s efforts do not translate to the deployment of nuclear energy, its work could help the Republic stay relevant amid the global nuclear renaissance.
The SNRSI spokesman said its research and nuclear laboratories will remain important as interest in nuclear power across the region continues to grow.
With 70 researchers in its stable, the institute also ensures that Singapore has its own experts to understand these developments and what they mean for the country.
Added Mott MacDonald’s Tan: “If it continues on its current path, Singapore has the potential to become one of the region’s leading centres of excellence for advanced nuclear technologies.”
How do small modular nuclear reactors work, and how safe are they if S’pore decides to use them?
Ang Qing Straits Times Oct 17, 2026, 05:00 AM
SINGAPORE - Plans to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) are gaining momentum, as more countries look to tap nuclear energy.
The Straits Times looks at the most promising technologies, how safe they are and where they can be found.
What are SMRs?
SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with a power capacity of up to 300MW, or 0.3 gigawatts, about one-third the capacity of a conventional nuclear plant.
SMRs generate electricity through nuclear fission, the process of splitting heavy atoms such as uranium. This releases one million times more energy per kilogram than burning carbon.
For context, Singapore had the capacity to produce about 13 gigawatts of electricity in the first half of 2025.
Benefits
Smaller: SMRs hold less nuclear material than traditional reactors, which could mean a smaller amount of radioactive material being released during emergencies. This is why some argue that SMRs require smaller emergency planning zones. These zones could be so small that they extend only to the site’s boundary. This potentially allows reactors to be installed closer to industrial sites or densely populated areas.
Safer: Many SMRs feature passive safety systems that use natural phenomena, such as gravity, minimising the need for human input. One such design uses natural circulation to remove heat from the core, preventing and reducing the risk of accidents.
Types of SMRs
Water-cooled reactors
Features: Generate extreme heat by splitting uranium atoms in the reactor core. Highly pressurised water carries this heat to a heat exchanger, transferring thermal energy to another tank of water that boils into steam, driving turbines to generate electricity. This cooling system is used in the majority of conventional nuclear power plants today, making it the most mature technology.
Viability: Account for more than 40% of SMRs in the most advanced stages of development and construction. While they benefit from decades of commercial operating experience, established supply chains and familiarity among regulators, some safety systems still need to be thoroughly studied by operators, regulators and technical support organisations.
Safety: Water-cooled SMRs store relatively large volumes of water next to the reactor, which can absorb heat without the need for active cooling or operator intervention during emergencies. They also use the same type of nuclear fuel as conventional power plants, which has a long and well-understood safety record.
Example: The KLT-40S reactors power the world’s first floating nuclear power plant in Russia, which began commercial operations in the Arctic port city of Pevek in 2020.
High-temperature gas-cooled reactors
Features: Inert helium gas is passed through the reactor core, where the nuclear fission process takes place, releasing heat. The gas can extract extreme heat of up to 1,000 deg C from nuclear fuel designed to be resistant to melting. Superheated helium passes through a heat exchanger to produce steam for highly efficient electricity generation, or to supply heat to heavy industries such as steel manufacturing and clean hydrogen production. Some models can be refuelled without shutting down the reactor.
Viability: Reliance on a specialised fuel known as high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) is a major hurdle. Currently, Russia and China have the infrastructure to produce HALEU at scale, while the US is working towards commercial production.
Safety: Radioactive fuel is coated in multiple stable layers to contain fission products while maintaining structural integrity even at extreme heat. The helium coolant does not corrode the structural materials or fuel coatings used in the reactor. Graphite reflectors in the core have properties that help regulate heat transfer, preventing excessively high fuel temperatures.
Example: In December 2023, the HTR-PM, built in China’s Shandong province, became the world’s first advanced SMR of its kind to enter commercial operation.
Molten salt reactors
Features: Molten salt reactors use liquid salt, instead of water, to transfer heat, allowing them to operate at high temperatures and low pressure. In one design, salt acts as a coolant that flows past solid nuclear fuel to carry heat to a heat exchanger. In a liquid-fuel design, the fuel is dissolved directly into the circulating salt. Fission occurs inside the core but stops naturally when the fluid exits, allowing the salt to safely deliver its thermal energy.
Viability: Research is ongoing into fuel management, including methods to clean the salt. The corrosive nature of liquefied salts is one of the engineering challenges facing these reactors. They could face supply chain bottlenecks due to a potential reliance on HALEU.
Safety: Operate at low or atmospheric pressures, eliminating the risk of high-pressure ruptures. As the molten salt fuel heats up, it naturally expands, reducing fuel density and slowing the reaction. This passively shuts the core down if temperatures rise beyond design limits. Typical MSR designs can also incorporate recycling and reprocessing technologies, potentially reducing the volume of long-term nuclear waste.
Example: The Hermes 2 demonstration reactor is a low-power, molten salt-cooled project being built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Liquid metal-cooled fast reactors
Features: These replace water with liquid metals such as sodium or lead to carry heat away from the reactor core. These reactors are highly efficient and could potentially increase the amount of energy extracted from nuclear fuel.
Viability: While sodium-cooled designs benefit from more years of operational experience, lead-cooled reactors are still at an earlier stage of development.
Safety: Operate at low pressures, eliminating the risk of high-pressure ruptures. Like molten salt reactors, they feature safety systems that can shut down the reactor if temperatures rise beyond design limits. These reactors can also produce less waste overall and significantly reduce the volume of long-term nuclear waste.
Example: The BREST-OD-300 is a lead-cooled fast neutron reactor currently under construction in Seversk, Russia.
Sources: International Atomic Energy Agency, US Department of Energy, European Commission, World Nuclear Association, Nuclear Energy Agency, Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute, World Nuclear News
‘Everybody has an opinion on nuclear energy’: This scientist is determined to defuse nuclear myths
Ang Qing Straits Times Oct 17, 2026, 05:00 AM
SINGAPORE – When Singaporean nuclear energy scientist Ian Ang recently visited his neighbourhood doctor for a check-up, he did not expect a debate over his area of research.
“Oh, I disagree with that,” the general practitioner blurted out upon learning that Ang was a researcher at the NUS Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI).
Ang, 35, is not unfamiliar with the topic of nuclear energy triggering opposition. Instead of feeling disheartened, he saw the moment as another opportunity to debunk fears about nuclear energy. “I think it’s funny that nobody really has an opinion about a researcher, but everybody has an opinion if you are doing nuclear energy,” said the nuclear safety researcher.
Probing further, he learnt the doctor had formed his negative opinion of nuclear energy by “many people dying” due to the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters.
In 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident at the Soviet-built Chernobyl plant in Ukraine exposed millions to radiation and contaminated swathes of land.
Decades later, in 2011, a natural disaster triggered meltdowns at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. While many had died from those disasters, Ang told the doctor the UN had concluded in 2020 that there were no radiation-related deaths directly attributable to the Fukushima incident.
Some 18,430 people died or went missing from the earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, while more than 3,700 died from illness or suicide linked to the tragedy’s aftermath.
Turning to Chernobyl, Ang noted that while about 50 emergency responders died, less than 0.5% of some 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer linked to the accident resulted in death, according to a 2008 UN report. Most thyroid cancer cases can be cured with treatment.
“To me, (the Chernobyl accident) was an issue caused by humans, not really the technology itself,” Ang said.
Research has shown that the explosion arose from design flaws and operator errors. The operators, for instance, were not informed that their actions could cause the reactor to enter an explosive condition.
Encountering public scepticism about nuclear energy had, in fact, cemented Ang’s decision to study the field more than a decade ago.
At the time, he was a physics student at the National University of Singapore, looking to research anything physics-related, from atomic clocks to solar energy.
In 2014, he landed on nuclear energy for his final-year project after learning that the Singapore Government had set aside $63 million for a nuclear safety research and education programme.
Convinced that nuclear energy has a strong safety record overall, produced low greenhouse gas emissions, and can help Singapore overcome its resource constraints, Ang then applied, successfully, to SNRSI for a scholarship to pursue a PhD in Physics.
As a doctoral student at the University of Bristol, a leading institution in nuclear research that sits near a nuclear facility, he helped conduct research proving that material from the Fukushima reactor core had escaped into the environment, and developed methods to quickly trace other materials from the reactors.
Yet, the most memorable moment of his studies occurred on a trip near the Chernobyl site, during a demonstration given by a child to nuclear experts.
The boy, who looked to be about six years old, showed how locals scanned carrots using a gamma detector to ensure their food was safe.
“I (realised then that) you can actually teach children nuclear science; they can apply it in real life,” said Ang.
“The main lesson I had during the trip was how badly managed the whole fallout was... So many more tragedies occurred because the (Soviet) government didn’t take proper steps to educate the public.”
Since returning to Singapore, Ang has been spending his time digging deeper into nuclear safety.
He is studying the methods and modelling needed for an underground geological repository to store nuclear waste in Singapore, which includes looking into Finland’s efforts to build the world’s first deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel.
Underground, nuclear waste can be stored in a stable state without affecting the surface.
Addressing the misconception that Singapore lacks space for such facilities, he estimated that the world’s current volume of spent nuclear fuel since the 1950s is the equivalent of just 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
In contrast, Singapore’s Jurong Rock Caverns has a capacity of 600 Olympic-sized pools. “We have the common argument that Singapore has no space, but one of the advantages of nuclear technologies is actually that the waste is very manageable,” he added.
Growing the nuclear sector, he warned, cannot be treated as a “fad of the day”. He cited how, after an initial boom in talent in Western countries, new plant construction slowed or stalled around the 1980s, causing expertise to fade.
While Singapore has made no commitment to nuclear energy, Ang is determined to continue hammering out the science needed to make the sector a reality here. He said: “It’s the only energy industry that cares about its entire lifespan and beyond.”
