SINGAPORE: Singapore is approaching nuclear energy with an open mind while recognising its constraints as a small and densely populated city-state, the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Monday (Sep 14).

Representing Singapore at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Ms Fu said the country, in looking at possible pathways to meet its long-term climate and energy goals, is studying whether nuclear energy could be viable and is building its capabilities to assess advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors.

"We approach this with an open mind, but also with a clear recognition of our circumstances as a small, densely populated, and alternative energy disadvantaged city-state," she said.

Ms Fu said the country’s approach will be "deliberate, structured, and rigorous", with assessments covering nuclear safety, security and safeguards, environmental sustainability, economic viability, public confidence and Singapore's international obligations.

Before any decision is made, Singapore must have the scientific, technical, institutional and regulatory capabilities needed to evaluate reactor technologies objectively, she said.

To that end, Singapore is steadily developing these capabilities across government, research institutions and its regulatory system, while also strengthening cooperation with nuclear regulators and international partners to learn from their approaches to governance, regulation and safety.

As part of this process, Singapore will embark on the first of three phases of a nuclear readiness review - known as an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) with the IAEA in 2027.

The review will allow Singapore to benchmark its capabilities against the IAEA's milestones approach, assess the country’s readiness to make an informed decision on deploying nuclear energy, and identify areas that require further development.