Oral reply to PQ on public education plans for Singapore’s assessment regarding nuclear energy deployment

Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry what are the main areas of public education that the Government will embark on as it assesses the viability of nuclear energy for Singapore, in view of the release of the 2025 background paper on Singapore’s considerations for nuclear energy deployment and the 2018 paper on the public perception of nuclear energy supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation.

Oral Answer (to be attributed to the Minister-in-Charge of Energy, Science & Technology Dr Tan See Leng)

1.       Our public education efforts will cover both the benefits and risks of nuclear energy. While Singapore has not yet made a decision on nuclear energy, a number of countries in the region have announced plans to adopt nuclear energy within the next decade.

2.       It is important to help the public understand how with the advancement in nuclear energy technologies, the deployment of nuclear energy can now be carried out in a safer way. We also need to educate the public on how including nuclear energy in our energy mix can enhance our energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately benefit Singaporeans. While the Government had ruled out conventional nuclear energy technologies in the 2012 Pre-Feasibility Study, newer nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and Generation IV reactors incorporate new safety features that can significantly reduce the risks and mitigate the impact of accidents compared to many of the plants operating today.

3.       We will also help the public to understand the capabilities Singapore is building up, to enable us to take a considered decision on whether to deploy nuclear energy. And if we decide to do so, how we will manage this safely.