Forum: Kudos to Govt for forward-looking approach on nuclear energy

I refer to the article “No major technical roadblocks prevent S’pore from storing nuclear waste,  study shows” (June 8). From recent reports on this topic, it appears the Government is seriously considering nuclear energy to help meet Singapore’s future power needs.

While nuclear-power generation technology has advanced significantly, it still carries catastrophic risks in the event of a fallout. No matter how many redundant safety layers are in place, a single incident – whether driven by human error or an unforeseen natural disaster, akin to the tsunami that breached the Fukushima plant’s defences – could render a large part of our small, densely populated island uninhabitable.

Nevertheless, I applaud the Government’s forward-looking approach. I encourage it to continue monitoring the progress of emerging technologies like nuclear fusion. Touted as inherently safer and less pollutive, fusion may ultimately prove far more suitable, considering Singapore’s unique constraints.

Yeo Chee Kean