Singapore Builds Nuclear Energy Office to Assess Reactors, Safety and Local Expertise

A New Office for Singapore's Nuclear Assessment

Singapore has created a Nuclear Energy Office within the Energy Market Authority (EMA), bringing together 26 staff to examine whether nuclear power could fit a country that generates about 95 percent of its electricity from natural gas. Established in October 2025, the office is led by Darryl Chan, previously EMA's director of energy technologies.

As of February 9, 2026, Singapore has made no decision to deploy nuclear energy. The new office marks its most significant institutional step toward assessing the technology since a 2012 study found conventional reactors unsuitable for its limited land and dense population.

The office has four branches: Nuclear Energy Technologies and Safety, Nuclear Policy and Planning, Nuclear Ecosystem Development, and Nuclear Project Implementation. Its workforce is expected to expand substantially as Singapore studies the infrastructure, skills and safeguards a nuclear programme would require.

Chan, the office's inaugural director, explained in his first interview on February 6 that Singapore needs the ability to make its own judgments about nuclear technology.

We can't rely on foreign partners forever. We have to build domestic capabilities to do these important analyses ourselves.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced during his Budget 2025 speech that the government would reorganise to give greater attention to building nuclear capabilities. The changes also included a dedicated nuclear safety team at the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore's radiation and nuclear safety regulator.

EMA's task is to assess the potential use of nuclear energy, while NEA is responsible for safety oversight. Building both teams gives Singapore separate institutions to examine development and regulation before any decision about a plant.

Why Natural Gas Dependence Matters

Natural gas supplies approximately 95 percent of Singapore's electricity, leaving the country exposed to international fuel price swings and disruptions to supply chains. Global geopolitical uncertainty has added urgency to the search for a more varied energy supply.

Singapore also aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Its energy sector produces roughly 40 percent of national emissions, making electricity generation a central part of that effort. Nuclear power is being examined as a possible source of electricity with low carbon emissions.

Singapore's geography narrows its renewable energy choices. Limited land, dense development and inconsistent cloud cover restrict solar power deployment. The country lacks rivers for hydroelectric power, while geothermal resources remain inaccessible. Officials describe this position as being disadvantaged in alternative energy.

A pre-feasibility study in 2012 concluded that traditional large nuclear plants were incompatible with Singapore's size and population density. Newer reactor designs have prompted another look. An EMA report in 2022 indicated that emerging nuclear technologies could potentially supply around 10 percent of Singapore's energy needs by 2050 and help the power sector reach net zero emissions.

Tan See Leng, the minister in charge of energy, confirmed at Singapore International Energy Week in October 2025 that Singapore was seriously studying possible nuclear deployment, particularly small modular reactors.

What Smaller Reactors Could Offer

Small modular reactors, commonly called SMRs, typically generate approximately 300 megawatts per unit. That is roughly a third of the capacity of conventional nuclear plants, which can generate more than 1,000 megawatts. Their smaller size is one reason Singapore is examining them.

Modular construction means components can be manufactured in a factory and assembled at the plant location. This approach could reduce construction times from nearly a decade to a few years while limiting construction risks.

SMR designs also incorporate passive safety systems. These can shut down and cool a reactor core automatically without electrical pumps or human intervention. Such designs eliminate many of the ways equipment and systems failed during historical nuclear accidents.

Smaller emergency planning zones are another feature attracting attention. These are buffer areas around a plant where preparations are made to protect people during an emergency. SMRs require substantially smaller zones than the extensive exclusion zones associated with traditional plants, making them a potential option for compact places such as Singapore.

Singapore's assessment centres on whether these features can work safely under local conditions. The country needs its own specialists to evaluate safety systems, examine operating requirements and check claims made by reactor suppliers.

A Study of Three Reactor Technologies

EMA appointed the Singapore office of British consultancy Mott MacDonald in September 2025 to carry out a comprehensive study lasting two years. The work will assess the safety performance and technical feasibility of advanced nuclear designs.

The study covers SMRs cooled by water, reactors cooled by gas at high temperatures, and molten salt reactors. These designs use different materials and methods to manage the heat produced inside a reactor, so Singapore must examine their individual safety features and technical requirements.

Mott MacDonald brings more than six decades of nuclear industry experience. Hyundai Engineering & Construction is participating as a subconsultant, contributing five decades of experience in nuclear construction around the world.

Mott MacDonald previously helped Holtec Britain complete the first step of the generic design assessment for its SMR. The firm also provided technical advice on Britain's Hinkley Point C nuclear project.

Dr Ming Tan, Mott MacDonald's global nuclear practice lead, described safety and progress through regulatory reviews as central to the assessment.

For us, safety is absolutely non-negotiable. Therefore, we'll be focusing on the key safety and design advancements in SMRs, such as the inherent safety features and their simpler, more compact plant design. We're also looking at the progress these technologies have made through its licensing and regulatory processes.

The study brings reactor design and licensing into the same assessment. Singapore is examining both how a technology is intended to operate and how far it has progressed through the processes used to review and authorise nuclear facilities.

Building Expertise Across 19 Areas

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) identifies 19 infrastructure issues that countries must address when considering their first nuclear power plant. They include legal and regulatory frameworks, human resources, radiation protection, radioactive waste management and emergency response.

Chan said his team needs to examine each area from different perspectives. Singapore must be able to verify safety claims and operating requirements independently, alongside the advice it receives from foreign consultants and technology suppliers.

EMA has issued tenders for panels of consultants to provide advisory services across those 19 areas. The work extends beyond reactor engineering to policy analysis, environmental science and economic modelling.

The Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute, launched at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in July 2025, aims to train 100 nuclear experts by 2030. That target would double the current specialist pool of approximately 50 professionals.

The institute combines research with workforce development, creating a continuing supply of expertise for government agencies and possible future industry needs. Evaluating reactor safety systems is one area where Chan said Singapore needs its own capability to be fully assured about local deployment.

The IAEA estimates that countries typically need 10 to 15 years to move from initial consideration to operating their first nuclear plant. That timescale covers much more than construction: Singapore's preparatory work includes developing people, institutions, rules and emergency capabilities.

How the Preparations Have Developed

Singapore's current assessment follows more than a decade of studies and a series of institutional and international agreements. Several developments in 2025 brought the technical, regulatory and workforce preparations closer together.

• 2012: A pre-feasibility study found conventional nuclear plants unsuitable for Singapore's limited land and dense population.
• 2017: Singapore's NEA and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission began collaborating on safety matters.
• 2022: An EMA report indicated that emerging nuclear technologies could potentially provide around 10 percent of Singapore's energy needs by 2050.
• August 2024: Singapore and the United States signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement lasting 30 years.
• Budget 2025: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced a reorganisation to strengthen nuclear capability building.
• May 2025: Singapore and France established a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement.
• July 2025: The Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute launched at NUS.
• September 2025: EMA appointed Mott MacDonald for its study lasting two years, and the US Department of Energy approved Singapore's inclusion in its Part 810 list of Generally Authorized Destinations.
• October 2025: EMA formed the Nuclear Energy Office, and the government released a background paper on assessing nuclear energy.
• November 2025: EMA signed a memorandum of understanding with French utility EDF at the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris.
• February 6, 2026: Chan gave his first interview as director of the Nuclear Energy Office.

The next stated workforce target is 2030, when the NUS institute aims to have trained 100 nuclear experts. The technical study that began in September 2025 is scheduled to run for two years.

Learning From Several Nuclear Programmes

Singapore has established formal cooperation agreements with the United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, alongside partnerships with specialist research institutions. The approach reflects the different experiences countries bring to nuclear technology and programme development.

The agreement signed with the United States in August 2024 is commonly called a 123 Agreement, after the relevant section of the US Atomic Energy Act. It enables technology transfers and information sharing over 30 years.

In September 2025, the US Department of Energy added Singapore to the Part 810 list of Generally Authorized Destinations. This gives Singapore access to controlled technical data on American nuclear technologies, building on the safety cooperation between NEA and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission that began in 2017.

The November 2025 memorandum with EDF expanded cooperation following the bilateral agreement with France in May that year. Singapore has also partnered with the UAE's Emirates Nuclear Energy Company.

Research agreements include cooperation with Battelle Memorial Institute and Idaho National Laboratory in the United States, institutions with expertise in advanced reactor technologies and fuel testing.

Chan explained why Singapore is seeking experience from a range of countries.

Different countries have different experiences in the context of technology and developing their own nuclear power programme... we want to learn from everybody.

Singapore intends to adapt practices to its own needs rather than adopt another country's regulatory framework wholesale. EMA teams have visited nuclear facilities in the United States, Switzerland, France and South Korea to observe operating technologies and regulatory approaches firsthand.

Safety Oversight, Waste and Regional Coordination

NEA's dedicated nuclear safety team is developing regulatory capabilities while EMA examines feasibility. Dr Victor Nian, founding co-chairman of the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources, said having a promoter within EMA and a regulator within NEA follows best practices in established nuclear nations.

This structure places potential development alongside separate oversight of international codes, standards and safety requirements. NEA already operates an ambient radiation monitoring network with 40 air and water monitoring stations across Singapore. The stations measure concentrations of radioactive substances, known as radionuclides, and detect unusual readings.

Radioactive waste requires planning far beyond a plant's daily operations. Any nuclear programme must address storage of spent fuel and eventual permanent disposal of highly radioactive waste. Such disposal requires geological stability and decades of preparation. Operational solutions remain under study as Singapore develops its regulatory approach.

Five other ASEAN countries, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand, are actively studying or planning nuclear deployment. Their interest creates opportunities to cooperate and a need for stronger coordination on regional safety.

Ang Kok Kiat, NEA's group director for radiation protection and nuclear science, said Singapore is encouraging nuclear safety cooperation among counterpart regulators in the region. This includes regional early warning systems and shared detection capabilities.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi suggested in July 2025 that Singapore could represent the most perfect example of a country needing nuclear energy, given its territorial limits, energy requirements, technological base and institutional maturity. He anticipated possible deployment within a few years, potentially involving ASEAN cooperation.

Public Confidence Starts With Energy Knowledge

Singapore's Nuclear Energy Office also faces a communication challenge. Nuclear energy carries strong public associations with major accidents, particularly the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown after a tsunami struck Japan in 2011.

Chia Meng Hwee, deputy director of the Nuclear Energy Office, said public understanding and events elsewhere in the region would affect confidence in the technology.

Nuclear energy is an emotive subject, so we have to take into consideration the public's understanding and the confidence in the technologies that will be deployed. Successful deployment of nuclear energy in the region could also boost public confidence in these technologies. Conversely, if there's any setback in terms of deployment, this could also negatively impact the local and regional perception of these technologies.

Authorities have also encountered gaps in public knowledge about Singapore's existing electricity supply. Some residents believe the country already runs mainly on solar power, rather than natural gas.

Chan said public education needs to begin with Singapore's energy constraints. Without that understanding, people may struggle to see why the country is examining options such as nuclear energy or ammonia.

The government released a background paper of 16 pages in October 2025, titled Building Singapore's Capabilities to Assess Nuclear Energy. It places the nuclear discussion within Singapore's energy limitations and climate goals.

The NUS institute will dedicate its ground floor to public exhibitions explaining nuclear science and addressing myths about radiation. EMA is also assessing public interest and knowledge about nuclear options.

Chan acknowledged how difficult a deployment discussion would become if 90 percent of people did not want a plant near their homes. Technical feasibility must therefore be accompanied by public acceptance and transparent communication about benefits and risks.

Tan See Leng assured Singapore International Energy Week in October 2025 that the government would engage the public regularly as the work progresses. Singapore's preparations now bring together technology assessment, independent safety oversight, domestic training and public discussion.

At a Glance

• Singapore formed EMA's Nuclear Energy Office in October 2025, with Darryl Chan leading an initial workforce of 26 across four branches.
• About 95 percent of electricity comes from natural gas, while the energy sector accounts for roughly 40 percent of national emissions.
• Singapore aims for net zero emissions by 2050 and is examining small modular reactors as a possible electricity source.
• Mott MacDonald's study began in September 2025 and will assess advanced reactor safety and feasibility over two years.
• The Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute aims to train 100 nuclear experts by 2030, doubling the current pool of approximately 50.
• International cooperation includes the United States, France, the UAE, EDF, Battelle Memorial Institute and Idaho National Laboratory.
• NEA has a separate nuclear safety team and a radiation monitoring network of 40 air and water stations.
• Singapore has made no deployment decision. Safety assessments, waste planning, regulatory preparation and public engagement remain central to its work.