Publishing Detailed Findings of Nuclear Technology Study

Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry on the Government’s recent setup of dedicated nuclear teams at the Energy Market Authority and the National Environment Agency (a) what is the readiness to deploy nuclear energy in Singapore; and (b) what is the staff strength of the nuclear team at these two respective agencies.

Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry regarding the dedicated nuclear teams set up at the Energy Market Authority and the National Environment Agency, whether the Government will consider including representatives from other sectors and the public in these teams to address common concerns, such as safety and perceptions.

The Government has not made any decision on deploying nuclear energy in Singapore. We are studying the potential for nuclear energy deployment as it is a low-carbon energy source that enhances our energy security.

As part of our overall efforts to build capabilities to assess whether the latest nuclear technologies could be suitable for deployment in Singapore, we have set up dedicated nuclear energy teams in the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA). The EMA and NEA teams are made up of Public Service officers. They will be adequately resourced to carry out their roles and will be collaborating with partners from other governments, as well as with industry and academia.

The study commissioned by EMA is focused on helping Singapore understand the safety and the viability of various advanced nuclear power plant technologies. It will not focus on potential sites or deployment timelines. As I have shared right at the beginning, because we have not made any decision on deploying nuclear energy in Singapore.

We will engage the public regularly on the latest developments in nuclear energy to build an informed understanding on nuclear energy. On 27 October 2025, we published a “Background Paper on Singapore’s Nuclear Energy Capability Building Journey” to share more about the work we have done thus far.

Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister. Many people are quite concerned about the health and also the safety impact of nuclear energy. I would like to understand what the communication and engagement strategy is to reach out to more members of public on this aspect.

I thank Ms Poh for her supplementary question. As I have said earlier on, we have not made the decision on whether to deploy nuclear energy technology. However, in the run-up, we have got the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI); we have just upgraded it to an institute. They have actually conducted public education dialogues.

At the same time, given the fact that we have just published the background paper to showcase what our journey has been thus far, we will continuously work with different governments and different jurisdictions.

And as the updated safety profiles of this advanced nuclear technology come on, we will share them with the public to build background knowledge and also to socialise our larger population. Even if we eventually decide that we will not go down the pathway of deploying on our shores, it does not preclude our neighbouring countries from deploying on their shores. And that education would involve getting big parts of our population to be socialised to the idea that our neighbours may also deploy that, and what are the safety considerations and measures that we should be undertaking. I hope that gives the Member that reassurance.

Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Minister, for the comprehensive reply. Can I ask a supplementary question? If Singapore were to build a nuclear reactor for the purpose of power generation, whether it would be located in the far part of Singapore or on the offshore islands.

A second supplementary question is, if we were to decide to build a nuclear plant, what is the timeframe? Does it take 10 or 15 years to build?

I thank Mr Ang for his two supplementary questions. Perhaps, the Member missed the earlier part of the answer. We have not decided whether to deploy nuclear energy technology. So, I think it is premature for us, given the fact that we have not decided, to talk about potential deployment sites and also whether it is going to be on an offshore island, in the sea or underground.

The journey over the next few years will allow us to understand many of these advanced nuclear energy technologies, the promise they hold and while the current thinking is the physics, the engineering works, the commercial feasibility and the viability has still yet to be proven. So, as result, the study is quite focused on comparing the different types of advanced nuclear technology and whether the safety profile, whether the type of outputs that they generate, how efficient they are, will eventually benefit us or not.

So, as far as the timeline is concerned, we have not even made the decision. I think the timeline is even further out. So, I cannot comment in a very definitive manner as to what kind of timelines we are looking at. What I can safely say is from the results of the 2012 study that we have completed, and if the Member could look back at the report that was released, is that conventional nuclear power and nuclear energy technology, the conventional ones, those that involve very large conventional reactors is not suitable for Singapore. And hence, we have no plans to even look at deploying those. I hope that gives the Member that clarity that he needs.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for his response. Public engagement is a strategic activity for building trust, understanding and the concerns of the community, and ensuring that local needs and preferences are considered in nuclear project planning. My supplementary question is, could the Ministry elaborate more on plans to enhance public literacy on nuclear technologies, especially among youths and non-technical communities, so that future discussions are informed and inclusive?

I thank Dr Choo for her supplementary question. Today, as I have shared over the last couple of minutes, the Government is in the process of building capabilities and this is in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) Milestones Approach, and we are supported by international partners to study this potential deployment with very high standards of safety, security and safeguards.

Given that in Singapore, we have a very densely populated, very urbanised environment, we want to also not alarm the public. We want to continually engage them regularly on the latest developments in nuclear energy.

As I have said earlier on, even if we ultimately decide not to deploy here, it does not mean our neighbours will not deploy. So, as the regional interest in nuclear powers continues to grow, we want to contemporaneously and progressively prepare our fellow Singaporeans for the potential deployment of nuclear energy in the region. After all, we have a very small footprint. Like what they always say in Mandarin, "我们是弹丸小国". We are a very small country. We have to prepare our population. And what are the mitigating actions that could be taken in the unlikely event of an accident in nuclear energy facilities in the region? That is what we will proceed with on very sure-footed steps. I hope that gives you the reassurance that you need, Dr Choo.

Thank you, Speaker. Given the safety concerns around small modular reactors, which are light-water reactors, under what conditions would the Ministry consider training a cadre of experts in thorium or molten salt reactors, which have better safety characteristics like running near atmospheric temperature?

I thank Mr Tiong for his supplementary question. I think it is important to note that today, we have embarked on a slow and steady series of steps for us to first gain understanding on a comparative analysis of the different types of technologies that is available.

The ones that he alluded to, the molten salt reactor, light-water, including thorium, we also need to consider the supply chain. Today, given our understanding of the supply chain for thorium, the concentration risk in terms of the procurement of the supply of thorium is actually quite limited. Today, our focus is still on a number of the newer ones, the small modular reactors, the new generation thermal high-pressure reactors.

We have committed Mott MacDonald to do that study for us. And when we get the results of that study some time down the line, we will be able to make a more meaningful comparison. And I am sure by that time, Parliamentary Questions will be filed, and I am happy to update the House again.