Key facts
- Singapore relies on imports for 65% of its energy, primarily oil and gas.
- The war in Iran has disrupted oil and gas trade through the Strait of Hormuz, impacting Singapore.
- Singapore is exploring nuclear energy, including traditional fission and potentially fusion.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency will assess Singapore's nuclear readiness next year.
- Singapore aims to be a leader in nuclear fusion supply chains.
Singapore is actively exploring nuclear power, including both traditional fission models and potentially nuclear fusion, as a means to bolster its energy security amidst volatile global energy markets. The island nation, the second-most densely populated country globally, faces significant challenges in developing energy infrastructure due to scarce land.
The country's heavy reliance on imported oil and gas, which constitute 65 percent of its energy mix, has been acutely exposed by the ongoing conflict in Iran and the subsequent disruption to trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 18 million barrels of oil and gas per day, with 85 percent destined for Asian markets, pass through this critical chokepoint.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong emphasized that Singapore's energy strategy needs to be "more deliberate, more diversified and more forward-looking." While the government is increasing clean energy imports from Southeast Asian neighbors, experts caution that this alone cannot guarantee energy security.
Next year, the International Atomic Energy Agency will conduct an assessment to determine Singapore's readiness for nuclear energy production, which will inform potential decisions on deploying next-generation nuclear power. The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment described this assessment as a significant step, though Singapore has not yet committed to adopting nuclear energy.
Singapore is also pursuing nuclear fusion, with Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng stating that global developments have provided impetus to explore such nascent pathways. The nation intends to become a leader in the global nuclear fusion supply chain, leveraging its expertise in precision engineering and advanced manufacturing, rather than building its own commercial fusion reactors.