Advanced tech, sound policies and public understanding key before S’pore decides on nuclear power
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Mr Darryl Chan (centre), director of EMA's Nuclear Energy Office, speaking during a panel discussion at the Singapore-US Forum on Oct 29.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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SINGAPORE – Closely assessing nuclear technology, developing sound policies and raising the level of public understanding are key things that Singapore has to get right before it can make a decision on going nuclear, said the director of a new nuclear energy office
Mr Darryl Chan, director of the Nuclear Energy Office at the Energy Market Authority (EMA), said this during a panel discussion on nuclear energy at the Singapore-US Forum, part of the Singapore International Energy Week conference.
In response to a question from moderator Brian McFeeters, chief executive of the US-Asean Business Council, who asked about the Republic’s nuclear priorities over the next three years, Mr Chan said the country will be focusing on advanced technologies that are more mature.
These include reactors that will soon be licensed, constructed and deployed in the next five to 10 years, he added.
Singapore has not yet made a decision
These are advanced and compact reactors that can be factory-assembled and installed in dense urban areas. They are known to be safer than traditional large reactors but are now mainly still at a research phase.
Mr Chan said while studying these technologies, the hope is that Singapore will be able to partner technology vendors to “go under the hood and have a better decision on how technologies work”.
This means not just understanding the technology, but also how to ensure that the enhanced safety systems promised for advanced reactors can work under any conditions.
The authorities will need to verify whether claims about smaller safety buffer zones for advanced reactors are true, Mr Chan added.
Such zones refer to designated areas around a nuclear plant where emergency preparedness and protective actions are planned to minimise radiation exposure to the public in case of an accident.
To deepen its understanding of nuclear energy, Singapore has been investing in research, conducting study trips around the world and inking partnerships to learn more about nuclear technology with other countries, including the US and France.
The authorities recently appointed consultancy firm Mott MacDonald
“We have the responsibility to choose the best technologies for Singapore. (And) safety is paramount. This is something that’s non-negotiable for us,” Mr Chan said.
Over the next three years, the Republic also has to understand the requirements needed to site advanced nuclear tech, he added.
The Straits Times reported on Oct 20 that dedicated nuclear teams have been created at EMA and the National Environment Agency (NEA) following a reorganisation exercise.
The authorities said then that the EMA team will help assess the feasibility of deploying advanced nuclear energy technologies for power generation in Singapore, while the NEA team will focus on issues such as radiation and safeguards.
On policies and building a regulatory framework, Mr Chan said the Republic will lean on guidelines set out by UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that highlight 19 areas a country should fulfil to soundly develop a nuclear power programme.
Nuclear safety is just one of these areas, he noted.
Other areas include having legal and regulatory frameworks, emergency planning, and being able to manage radioactive waste from plants.
Nuclear waste is a complex issue, and countries like Singapore need to consider suitable pathways to manage and dispose of it, said Mr Chan. Supply chains, including those linked to fuel, are another area that needs to be further studied, he added.
The IAEA says it takes 10 to 15 years for a country to begin operating its first nuclear power plant, upon its first consideration of atomic power.
“The IAEA provides a very good guide. We’ll go through every single line (on) safety, waste management, safeguards... and then get a good understanding of what it entails, and make sure that we have the necessary capabilities to tackle all of them,” said Mr Chan.
But, ultimately, the authorities cannot move without raising the public’s understanding of atomic energy.
“Nuclear is emotive, a very complicated and complex subject. Our job is to provide the public with the necessary information so that they come to their own logical conclusion on nuclear energy,” he added.
For instance, on Oct 20, the authorities released a 16-page background paper outlining Singapore’s approach to studying the potential for nuclear deployment
He noted that the public’s understanding about the country’s greener energy constraints needs to be improved, as he has come across people who think that its electricity is powered 100 per cent by solar.
Currently, about 95 per cent of the electricity in Singapore is generated from natural gas, a fossil fuel. The Republic faces limits on how much solar energy it can tap due to land constraints and cloud cover.
Mr Chan said the public needs bite-size information about how nuclear reactors work.
More work needs to be done to explain the difference between a large conventional reactor – which is not suitable for Singapore – and SMRs.
The nation is starting to take steps on that front. Public outreach and education will be a priority of the new Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute at the National University of Singapore.
The institute’s ground floor will be dedicated to outreach events, posters and exhibits
“Only when (the public) understand, correct the concepts, the considerations, and hopefully understand the constraints behind energy, are they able to understand why we are thinking about nuclear,” said Mr Chan.
