Singapore is stepping up its nuclear safety capabilities, with the National Environment Agency (NEA) signing a training agreement with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC).
The move comes as Singapore continues studying whether nuclear energy could play a role in its future energy mix.
In a media release, NEA said the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on regulatory skills development was signed on Friday (17 April) in Vienna, Austria, during a review meeting held under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Convention on Nuclear Safety.
NEA’s Radiation Protection and Nuclear Science Group Director Ang Kok Kiat signed the agreement alongside David Skeen, Director of the US NRC’s Office of International Programs.
Image courtesy of the National Environment Agency
Under the agreement, NEA officers will undergo specialised training programmes and attachments with the US NRC to build regulatory expertise.
These will cover areas such as reactor regulation, safety assessments, probabilistic risk assessment, and inspection procedures, while also providing hands-on experience with the regulator.
Source: Nuclear Energy Asia, for illustration purposes only
The training will support NEA’s newly formed Nuclear Safety Division, strengthening Singapore’s ability to regulate nuclear technologies safely should they be deployed in the future.
The agreement builds on an existing partnership between NEA and the US NRC, which already includes cooperation and the exchange of technical information on nuclear safety.
It also strengthens the wider US-Singapore civil nuclear relationship, including the “123 Agreement” signed in July 2024, which enables deeper collaboration in line with international standards on safety, security, and non-proliferation.
Beyond the US, Singapore has also been working with nuclear regulators in countries such as France and Finland to further develop its capabilities.
Source: Wolfgang Weiser on Pexels, for illustration purposes only
These efforts form part of a broader strategy to build up nuclear expertise, even as Singapore continues assessing the viability of nuclear energy.
While no decision has been made on deployment, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong recently noted that advancements, particularly in safer small modular reactors (SMRs), have made nuclear energy a more viable option today.
Neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have also announced plans to incorporate nuclear power in the future.
Also read: S’pore to explore nuclear power as future energy source: PM Wong
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image courtesy of NEA and adapted from Wolfgang Weiser on Pexels, for illustration purposes only.