Singapore is serious about nuclear lyrics, starting to partner with British regulators

Singapore has not decided to use nuclear energy. (Wikimedia Commons - Ibrahim Hunaish from Malé, Maldives)

JAKARTA - Singapore has not decided to use nuclear energy. But the city-state is starting to prepare the way neatly. Instead of building a reactor first, it strengthens safety rules, trains experts, and learns from countries that have long taken care of this high-risk technology.

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) signed an agreement with the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation on June 1. The cooperation includes the exchange of information and expertise on nuclear safety regulations, including for small modular reactors.

Small modular reactors are nuclear reactors that are smaller than conventional reactors. The units can be made in a factory, then sent and installed on site. Therefore, the cost is considered more controllable and the construction process can be faster.

For Singapore, this technology is interesting. The land is narrow. The population is dense. The need for electricity continues to grow. Therefore, small reactors that need a buffer zone, namely a safe distance from settlements, seem like a reasonable choice.

But nuclear remains no simple affair. It demands discipline, strict oversight, and strong institutions. A little miscalculation, the risks can be long: political, economic, environmental, to public confidence.

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation oversees more than 30 nuclear facilities in Britain. The agency was also among the first international regulators to review the safety of small modular reactors.

NEA said this partnership is part of Singapore's efforts to build nuclear safety capabilities and examine whether nuclear energy can be used safely in the country.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu. She is on a five-day visit to London and Paris to meet nuclear regulators, experts, and technology providers.

Previously, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Singapore would undergo an assessment from the International Atomic Energy Agency or IAEA in 2027. The assessment will look at whether Singapore has enough expertise, institutions, and regulatory frameworks to make decisions on nuclear energy.

The IAEA will send an international team of experts to review 19 main areas. Among them are nuclear safety, radioactive waste management, namely the remnants of nuclear materials that still emit radiation, and emergency plans.

"This agreement will strengthen Singapore's capabilities in radiation protection, nuclear safety, and assessment," said Koh Li-Na, Deputy Executive Director of the Meteorological and Radiation Protection Services of the NEA, quoted by The Straits Times. Radiation protection means protection so that radiation exposure does not harm workers, residents, and the environment.

Koh signed the deal with Paul Dicks, Director of New Reactor Regulation at the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation.

According to Koh, cooperation with established regulators such as the UK will help the NEA deepen its technical understanding of new reactor technology and build the agency's ability to assess nuclear safety rigorously.

Singapore also has nuclear safety cooperation with regulators in Finland, France, and the United States. At the regional level, Singapore discusses nuclear safety with ASEAN partners.

Singapore's move is important to read from Southeast Asia. Nuclear issues are no longer just alive in seminar rooms or energy policy documents. It is starting to enter the regulator's table, laboratories, and technology diplomacy.

Singapore chose to move cautiously. The country has not decided to use nuclear energy, but has begun to prepare regulatory, safety, and human resource capabilities before making major decisions in the future.