Opening Address by Min(EST) Tan See Leng at the Singapore-US Forum

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner, Judy Chang

Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Karine Herviou

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good morning to all of you. I want to thank the US Embassy in Singapore, the US Department of Commerce and the US-ASEAN Business Council for co-organising this morning’s Forum.

2.               This forum reflects our commitment to a secure and cost-competitive energy future. Both countries have had a robust and long-standing relationship and partnership in a wide range of energy issues, including today’s topic of nuclear energy.

Singapore-US Nuclear Energy Collaboration

3.            Indeed, we should be “Planning for a Nuclear Energy Future in Southeast Asia”, which is the theme of today’s forum.

4.            Now, let me clear, while Singapore has not yet made a decision on the deployment of nuclear energy, we are studying the option seriously and we have deepened our collaborations with the US.

5.            In July last year, we signed the Singapore-US Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Civil Nuclear Energy, also known as the 123 Agreement.

6.            Just last month, the US also approved Singapore’s addition to the list of Generally Authorised Destinations for the export of Part 810-controlled nuclear technology and assistance.

7.            Ladies and gentlemen, we are not alone in the region in pursuing such nuclear energy agreements. Our friends, our fellow ASEAN member states, in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand have 123 Agreements, while Malaysia is also in discussions with the US on signing one.

8.            These agreements, which will be discussed in our first panel, reflect a common interest within Southeast Asia to thoroughly assess how nuclear energy can enhance energy security and meet our growing energy demands.

9.            For Singapore, our interest stems from a desire to deepen our understanding of advanced nuclear energy technologies. The Agreement also reflects our commitment to pursuing any potential deployment in a way that is consistent with the highest standards of safety, security, and non-proliferation.

10.         In this spirit, Singapore’s Energy Market Authority signed nuclear cooperation agreements with two US organisations earlier this week.

11.         First, EMA has signed an MOU with Battelle Memorial Institute to study advanced nuclear reactor technologies and build capabilities in nuclear safety. Battelle is an independent non-profit applied science and technology organisation with networks and expertise across the US national laboratories and leading universities.

12.         Second, EMA and the Idaho National Laboratory also signed a Letter of Intent for collaboration. The teams will establish a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to collaborate on studies, technical assessments and capability building in advanced nuclear energy technologies.

13.         International collaborations with the US, and with other experts globally, are core to Singapore’s capability building plans. We look forward to learning alongside our partners in ASEAN, so that we can all deploy nuclear energy safely and securely, if and when we decide to do so.

Singapore’s Nuclear Ecosystem Development

14.         Any country seriously studying the potential of nuclear energy will also have to build up a local ecosystem of scientists, engineers and planners. This will be the focus of our second panel.

15.         For Singapore, there are three key pillars to our ecosystem development. The first, of course, is within the government. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) have formed dedicated nuclear energy and nuclear safety teams. This reflects our increased focus in building capabilities and conducting technical studies, so as to ensure that Singapore makes an informed decision on the feasibility of nuclear energy.

16.         Second, academia. In July 2025, we upgraded the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative to a full-fledged Institute. So now it is called Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute The institute will anchor Singapore’s capabilities in key nuclear safety areas such as reactor modelling and radionuclide dispersion. SNRSI currently employs over fifty nuclear experts, with plans to grow to a hundred by 2030.

17.         The third pillar to our ecosystem is our companies. Whether it is providing engineering services for nuclear projects, safety testing for plant components or financial services for nuclear power plant development, local companies will play a key role in any country’s nuclear power programme.

Conclusion

18.         In conclusion, nuclear energy can be a gamechanger for our energy future.

19.         But this is not simply a conversation on technology or capabilities. It is also about building trust. In a region with no operational nuclear energy plants today, save for some nuclear research reactors, governments in Southeast Asia must work doubly hard to assure our citizenry that any decision made on nuclear energy is sound and safe, and that any deployment of a nuclear energy plant is to the highest safety standards. 

20.         I look forward to stronger civil nuclear cooperation within Southeast Asia, and also between Southeast Asia and the United States, and I wish you a very productive and insightful forum ahead.

21.         Thank you.