SMS S Iswaran's reply to Parliament Questions on Pre-Feasibility Study on Nuclear Energy

Question No 733 in Notice Paper No. 57 of 2011

Question No 735 in Notice Paper No. 57 of 2011

Question No 728 in Notice Paper No. 55 of 2011

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr. Teo Siong Seng, Nominated Member

Mr. Low Thia Khiang, Member for Hougang

Mr. Michael Palmer, Member for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC

Questions

733.Mr Teo Siong Seng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the recent Fukushima nuclear fallout, whether his Ministry will provide an update on the status of the feasibility study for nuclear power in Singapore.

735.Mr Low Thia Khiang: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Fukushima nuclear power plant crisis in Japan has derailed the Government's decision to study nuclear energy as an option; and (b) whether the Government has assessed the risks to Singapore if ASEAN countries pursue nuclear energy options.

728.Mr Michael Palmer: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in light of the ongoing Fukushima nuclear power plant crisis in Japan (a) whether the Government will reconsider proceeding with a pre-feasibility study for nuclear power in Singapore; and (b) whether the Government will explore other sources of alternative energy instead of nuclear energy.

Answer

In light of the nuclear power plant crisis in Fukushima, it is understandable that Members have raised questions about the government’s study on nuclear energy.

Let me first emphasize that what we have embarked on is a “pre-feasibility” study on nuclear energy. A “pre-feasibility” study is a preliminary step for us to better understand the complex field of nuclear energy. The aim is to gain a deeper insight into critical issues like the different technologies that are available and being developed; the international regulatory regime; the essential elements for the safe operation of a nuclear plant; the management of spent nuclear fuel; protection against terrorist attacks; radiation protection; and emergency planning. Even with the completion of the pre-feasibility study, we will still be a long way from making any decisions on nuclear energy for Singapore, per se.

The Member of Parliament has asked if the Fukushima incident would derail our study of nuclear energy. On the contrary, what happened in Fukushima makes it all the more important that we conduct such a study, and build our knowledge and understanding of nuclear energy. Further, several countries in our region, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, have announced plans for nuclear energy. Therefore, even if we do not proceed with nuclear energy for Singapore, we need to understand its implications for the region, and for Singapore.

Our scientists and engineers must know how current and emerging nuclear technology work, and be able to assess the safety risks associated with it. Only then can we work constructively with our ASEAN neighbours and other partners to ensure that nuclear energy, whenever and wherever it is deployed in this region, is done so in a safe and secure manner.

The pre-feasibility study will help us understand these risks and make recommendations on the type of training, education and research that will be necessary.

It will take months, if not years, for the global nuclear energy community to assess the lessons from Fukushima. But in a world with increasing competition for scarce energy supplies, nuclear energy will continue to be an option for many countries. We should, therefore, deliberately and methodically shore up our knowledge and understanding of nuclear energy issues.

Mr. Michael Palmer has asked about alternative sources of energy. We are also exploring actively options to persify our fuel mix in the near and medium term. The completion of our liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal will expand our geographical sources of energy. We have been studying to explore other energy options such as electricity imports, renewable energy and clean coal, while investing in R&D to improve energy efficiency and develop new energy technologies. With energy constraints expected to increase in the future, we need to adopt a portfolio approach and maintain a range of energy options for Singapore.