The National Environment Agency of Singapore has signed an agreement with the United Kingdom Office for Nuclear Regulation to share expertise on nuclear safety and small modular reactors, supporting capabilities ahead of a 2027 United Nations atomic watchdog assessment.
- Singapore and the United Kingdom signed an agreement to exchange nuclear safety expertise on small modular reactors.
- The partnership supports Singaporean efforts to build capability ahead of a United Nations nuclear assessment in 2027.
- Authorities maintained that Singapore has not made an official decision on the deployment of nuclear energy technologies.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) has signed a bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) to exchange information and expertise on nuclear safety regulation, as the city-state continues building capabilities to assess the potential role of nuclear energy in its future power mix.
According to an NEA statement issued on 2 June 2026, the memorandum was formalised a day earlier during Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu’s official visit to London.
The agreement covers cooperation in the regulatory oversight of advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs), and establishes a framework for technical collaboration between the two agencies. It also includes provisions for the training of scientific and technical personnel to strengthen regulatory expertise within Singapore.
The memorandum was signed by Koh Li-Na, NEA’s deputy chief executive for meteorological services and radiation protection, and Paul Dicks, director of regulation for new reactors at the ONR. Fu witnessed the signing ceremony during the first day of her five-day visit to Europe.
The minister’s itinerary includes engagements in both London and Paris, where the Singapore delegation is scheduled to meet nuclear regulators, international experts and technology providers.
The agreement forms part of Singapore’s broader efforts to develop expertise in nuclear safety as it evaluates whether nuclear energy could play a role in the country’s long-term energy transition.
In May 2026, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Singapore had not made any decision on adopting nuclear power and remained in a capability-building phase. He stressed that the current work does not commit the country to constructing nuclear facilities and that no deployment timeline has been determined.
As part of those preparations, Singapore will undergo a comprehensive assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2027 to evaluate whether it possesses the capabilities needed to make an informed decision on potential nuclear deployment.
The review will examine whether Singapore has the necessary technical expertise, legal institutions and regulatory frameworks required to assess advanced nuclear technologies. An international team assembled by the IAEA is expected to conduct an in-country visit as part of the process.
According to the government, the assessment will cover 19 key areas, including nuclear safety, radioactive waste management and emergency preparedness. The findings will be compiled into a report intended to guide Singapore’s future policy considerations.
The NEA has identified small modular reactors as one of the advanced technologies under study. According to the agency, their lower generating capacity and enhanced safety features may make them more suitable for densely populated and land-constrained countries.
The agency also noted that SMRs generally require smaller emergency planning zones than conventional nuclear power plants. Singapore’s limited land area has frequently been cited as a key consideration in assessing the feasibility of nuclear energy deployment.
The IAEA has stated that SMRs can be manufactured as prefabricated modules at central facilities before being transported for installation on site. The organisation says this modular approach could reduce construction costs and timelines compared with traditional large-scale reactors, which are often custom-built for individual locations.
According to the IAEA, large conventional nuclear projects have historically faced construction delays and cost overruns in some jurisdictions, contributing to growing international interest in alternative reactor designs.
Commenting on the agreement, Koh said cooperation with the British regulator would help strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in radiation protection, nuclear safety and independent technical assessment.
The NEA said partnerships with experienced overseas regulators are essential to developing the expertise needed to understand emerging reactor technologies and assess associated safety risks.
The ONR is responsible for regulating safety and security across more than 30 nuclear sites in the United Kingdom and was among the early regulators internationally to begin reviewing small modular reactor technologies.
Singapore has previously established similar cooperation arrangements with nuclear regulators in Finland, France and the United States as part of its long-term capability-building efforts.
Beyond bilateral partnerships, the country also participates in regional discussions on nuclear safety involving fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The latest agreement comes as Singapore explores a range of low-carbon energy options to diversify an electricity system that remains heavily dependent on imported natural gas.
The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment has previously said any future decision on nuclear energy would depend on whether the technology can meet stringent safety, security and environmental requirements.
The NEA said exposure to established overseas regulatory systems provides valuable practical experience for local specialists, who are being trained to support Singapore’s assessment of emerging nuclear technologies.
Source: TOC