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Boom or Bust? Is Singapore ready for Nuclear Energy?
- Tan Ding Rui and Harry Lee
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has said that “Singapore does well in looking into nuclear energy, and my personal impression is that within a few years, you will see your first nuclear power plant... and perhaps in combination or cooperation with your ASEAN neighbours.”
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are the writer’s own and are not representative of MAJU’s views. While we make every effort to ensure that the information shared is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or corrections of errors.
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Christopher Nolan’s cinematic masterpiece, Oppenheimer, was underpinned by this iconic quote. (If you have yet to watch it, whether you are a movie buff or not, you are missing out!) It is a quote that haunts us, and a stark reminder of the dual nature of human ingenuity. Singapore, a nation built on the spirit of innovation, now faces its very own Oppenheimer moment. Yet, the very forces that could wipe out an entire continent (nuclear power), are now our hope against a looming energy crisis. To secure a future for Singapore, we must follow in Oppenheimer's footsteps, not to build an apocalyptic-inducing weapon (thankfully), but to unlock an energy future powered by the atom.
With rapid modernisation, the tropical metropolis has a growing appetite for energy. Of the long list of objectives and agendas laid out by the Government, resource and energy security remains a top priority. Yet, renewable energy in Singapore has fallen short of expectations – as of 2022, renewable energy sources contributed approximately 4% of Singapore’s power. Prominently, the bulk of Singapore’s electrical energy generation is derived from imported natural gas, which is a far cry from the 40% renewable energy share goal by 2035. This heavy reliance on non-renewables creates a vulnerability in energy security, exposing the country to supply risks and market fluctuations—the Energy Market Authority (EMA) went so far as to introduce legislation in 2024 allowing for power rationing during global energy crises—a signal that current energy sources alone may not guarantee long-term stability. Given these realities, the case for nuclear energy adoption in Singapore has never been stronger.
First and foremost, many of the widely-known renewable energy sources are not viable in Singapore, such as solar, hydroelectric, and wind energy. This mostly stems from Singapore’s geography. Singapore’s position on the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) has year-round cloud cover formations, limiting solar energy’s potential to generate a consistent baseload of energy to power Singapore’s energy consumption. Singapore also lacks fast-moving water bodies, and sufficiently strong wind speeds, to generate sufficient kinetic energy for power generation. Singapore is geographically-constrained, and our options for energy are limited.
As for near-term energy solutions, they alone are unable to address Singapore’s biggest concerns for energy security. Singapore has laid the framework for a National Hydrogen Strategy, launched in 2022, to build a roadmap towards decarbonising the economy. Green ammonia will be imported from regional and international partners, such as ASEAN and ANZ, to produce green hydrogen locally. Notably, Singapore is projected to open its first plant in 2026. Although this is a promising alternative, hydrogen energy is not without its flaws. Conversion of ammonia to hydrogen is an extremely costly method, and the ammonia fuel would also have to be imported from overseas, leaving Singapore prone to supply chain disruptions. Merely relying on hydrogen as an alternative fuel does not make sufficient progress towards the main objective of Singapore's energy independence.
Admittedly, nuclear energy also requires imported fuel. But unlike natural gas or hydrogen, which must be shipped in vast and frequent volumes (even if liquefied), uranium has an extremely high energy density—just a small quantity can power Singapore for years. This means that Singapore could realistically stockpile several years’ worth of fuel—buffering against external shocks and catastrophic global events—at the present moment. We caveat that nuclear should not be mistaken for a wholesale replacement of hydrogen or renewables — but neither should it be sidelined. By incorporating nuclear energy in a diversified energy mix, Singapore can reduce over-reliance on any single source, achieving greater resilience in our energy network.
Crucially, nuclear energy technology is the safest it has ever been. Recent developments in technology have enabled the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with improved modularity and safety. To begin with, newer nuclear technologies have developed passive safety systems, including fail-safe solutions and internal calibration mechanisms. This is in stark contrast to traditional reactors, making them less accident-prone. Furthermore, compared to their larger, scarier cousins, SMRs are more compact and can be factory-assembled. This makes them especially suitable for countries like Singapore, which are densely populated and land-scarce. Alternatively, Singapore could also explore “floating SMRs” — nuclear reactors mounted on specialised barges — that can be deployed offshore, drawing lessons from naval reactor designs. Such options could both minimise land use and provide flexible power generation points around the island.
Singapore has already begun laying the groundwork for nuclear energy through bilateral and international collaboration efforts. In fact, Singapore has quietly invested in nuclear safety research and participated in International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) frameworks, suggesting that policymakers have not ruled out the nuclear path entirely. To develop comprehensive nuclear capabilities, Singapore should develop a National Nuclear Strategy, akin to the National Hydrogen Strategy, to outline a long-term roadmap for nuclear research, regulation and eventual deployment. Unlike several ASEAN countries that are actively pursuing nuclear energy, Singapore has yet to adopt nuclear power and is unlikely to integrate it into its grid by 2050, according to a recent ASEAN Centre for Energy report. Further delays to a nuclear energy strategy for Singapore would leave us unprepared to integrate nuclear energy when SMRs become mainstream, leaving us dependent on external expertise and standards. Acting now would position Singapore not in competition with others, but as a credible partner in nuclear regional cooperation.
Undoubtedly, nuclear energy is not without its challenges. Nuclear waste management remains a difficult and pressing issue. Singapore must look deeper into this and develop safety regulations for nuclear waste management. With limited land and a dense population, Singapore simply cannot afford to take a wait-and-see approach. Instead, Singapore should lead the efforts for developing nuclear safety frameworks and innovative solutions for treating nuclear waste.
Apart from ensuring transparency in managing nuclear waste, the sheer volume of nuclear waste is a thorny issue too. Despite their smaller size, SMRs may produce more nuclear waste than traditional nuclear reactors. To this end, a pragmatic and effective solution for the small island nation would be to collaborate with regional partners to develop shared storage facilities for nuclear waste. Rather than each country developing its own costly and inefficient storage facilities, a shared, secure, and technologically advanced regional storage facility would be a game-changer. This approach would not only be more cost-effective through economies of scale, but would also pool expertise and resources, strengthening safety protocols across the board. However, achieving such cooperation will be riddled with political and economic challenges. Prominently, citizens may not be comfortable with the idea of storing foreign waste on their soil. Cost allocation between countries for such facilities may also be contentious. Yet, for land-scarce Singapore, there is little alternative. The challenge Singapore faces, then, is on how to navigate bilateral and regional differences to design robust agreements and safeguards to make such collaboration feasible.
While delineating our long-term nuclear gameplan, Singapore must also place particular emphasis on winning public trust. It goes without saying that no policy can work without the support of its populace. Earning public trust, then, requires transparency and public education to educate the public on nuclear energy. Singapore, being such a small country, would require complex measures to mitigate a nuclear apocalypse, given how long radiation can linger for. These problems are coupled with a “not in my backyard” mindset, where people support nuclear power production provided that they are situated away from their own neighbourhoods. These concerns are reasonably valid. However, dismissing nuclear outright because of past disasters ignores the leaps in safety design, regulation, and monitoring technology since the 1980s. In fact, inaction and stubbornly clinging onto imported fossil fuels may prove to be far worse. As the world faces a worsening climate change crisis, nuclear energy may well be our way of leaping out of the boiling water of climate change, before it’s too late.
When we think about nuclear reactors, images of Chernobyl and Fukushima are seared into our minds. The horrors of radiation are well-known, perhaps too well-known. But to stay paralysed by those images is to let history dictate our future. The real question is not whether Singapore can eliminate risk altogether, but whether we can manage it wisely. Our Oppenheimer moment is here to stay. Until then, we can either keep fearing the atom—or start harnessing it.
About the Authors: "Tan Ding Rui is a current Full-Time NSF, pending matriculation into Philosophy, Politics & Economics at Nanyang Technological University. In his free time, he goes for long runs and enjoys reading Ian Fleming novels.
Harry is a current Full-Time National Serviceman who will be studying Law at the National University of Singapore in 2026. He has a keen interest in matters of public policy, and spends his downtime hanging out with friends, journaling or overthinking a chess move."
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