Nuclear Energy Options that Do Not Require Domestically Located Reactor
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether the government is reviewing nuclear energy options that do not require domestically located reactors, such as floating barges, to help meet Singapore's emissions targets. Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong stated that Singapore remains open to various low-carbon sources, noting that nuclear energy is included as a future option in a scenario to achieve net zero by 2050. He highlighted that while the Energy Market Authority monitors developments like Small Modular Reactors and floating technologies, many are still undergoing research and are not yet commercially operational. Any decision to deploy nuclear technology will be carefully evaluated against safety, reliability, and affordability, and must comply with stringent international standards and best practices. In the interim, the government will continue to focus on energy efficiency, solar power, regional power grids, low-carbon hydrogen, and carbon capture technologies.
Transcript
56 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether including nuclear energy in our national energy mix using options that do not involve a domestically located reactor, for example, by using floating barges, is being reviewed in tandem with the Government's lowering and bringing forward of Singapore's emissions peak.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Singapore has limited scalable sources of renewable energy domestically. We do not have the land nor sufficient wind speeds for large solar or wind farms, or the rivers needed for hydroelectric power. Therefore, Singapore will need to stay open to various kinds of low-carbon energy sources. It is in this context that the Energy 2050 Committee developed three possible scenarios through which Singapore could achieve net zero by 2050; of these, the "Emergent Technology Trailblazer" scenario included the option of deploying nuclear energy in the future. While advanced reactor designs that are being developed, such as the Small Modular Reactors and "Generation IV" technologies, have the potential to be much safer than many of the plants in operation today, most of them are still undergoing research and development and have not begun commercial operations.
The Energy Market Authority is monitoring developments on nuclear technologies, and this includes floating options. Any decision to deploy new energy technologies, such as nuclear, will be carefully considered against its safety, reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability in Singapore's context. In addition, these technologies will need to comply with stringent standards in line with the best practices of countries which have experience in ensuring the safety of such technologies.
In the meantime, we must continue with our efforts to enhance energy efficiency across all sectors and encourage energy conservation by consumers to play their part to conserve energy, to reduce our overall demand and reliance on energy. We will also continue to explore and tap on other low-carbon energy sources, such as solar, regional power grids, low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).