SINGAPORE: At the People’s Action Party’s biennial conference last weekend, secretary-general Lawrence Wong acknowledged that there are concerns over nuclear energy.
However, because it is the ruling party’s job to prepare Singapore for the future, Mr Wong, the city-state’s Prime Minister, said this means “looking ahead and anticipating problems before they become too difficult to solve.”
One such problem concerns energy, perhaps in light of Indonesia’s decision to cut back gas exports to Singapore in order to safeguard its own electricity supply. Indonesia had been providing as much as a quarter of Singapore's total natural gas supply.
As a country that is extremely dependent on an imported energy supply, the Government admitted in May that it has limited options, and, given increasing geopolitical tensions, it has become critical for Singapore to strengthen its energy security.
“That’s why we are seriously studying the potential of nuclear energy,” the Prime Minister said. “Understandably, there are concerns about nuclear power in a small and densely populated country like Singapore.”
He underlined that the Government takes these concerns seriously and believes that safety must come first.
However, PM Wong added: “We should not rule out an option simply because it is difficult or controversial.”
Nuclear energy in Singapore
Earlier this year, the Government announced that it was studying the option of nuclear energy through the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR).
This is because 95% of Singapore’s electricity is produced using imported natural gas, and its main domestic renewable energy source, solar, would only be able to contribute up to around 10% of electricity needs by 2050.
Therefore, in considering the nuclear energy option, the city-state has been building capabilities across 19 key areas required by the International Atomic Energy Agency for a country to establish a nuclear power programme, including nuclear safety, stakeholder involvement, radioactive waste management and radiation protection, among others.
On Monday (Oct 26), Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng announced two new Nuclear Manpower Development Programmes.
“We are doubling down on building a pool of nuclear experts and professionals within Singapore,” he said during Singapore International Energy Week 2026,
Aside from the programmes, which are for public officers and industry professionals to learn from nuclear organisations and partners across the globe, Dr Tan said that the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are working toward a joint master's programme in nuclear engineering next year. /TISG
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