S'pore explores tapping nuclear energy by 2050

Nuclear energy, once deemed unsuitable for Singapore, has been identified as a potential power source for the country by 2050 in a new report published yesterday.

The Energy 2050 Committee report, commissioned by industry regulator Energy Market Authority (EMA), has recommended nine strategies for the country's power sector - currently responsible for 40 per cent of national emissions - to reach net zero by 2050.

They include: Keeping abreast of research into emerging low-carbon technologies, such as nuclear or carbon capture; importing more clean energy into Singapore through regional power grids; and developing infrastructure suitable for clean-burning hydrogen to be used as a fuel.

Nuclear energy was cited as supplying about 10 per cent of the country's needs by 2050, in a scenario where the world is fragmented geopolitically, but has made deep technological advancements. Current advancements have already made the nuclear energy option safer and more reliable, the report noted, with greater progress expected in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, a fragmented world makes it tougher for countries to work together to achieve their climate targets, which means that the share of electricity imports in Singapore's energy mix would be limited due to slow development of the regional grid, the report added.

The report comes after Singapore announced last month it will aim for national emissions to reach net zero "by or around" 2050.

Most of Singapore's energy is generated by natural gas, a fossil fuel, which means burning it produces planet-warming emissions.

The industrial sector accounts for about 45 per cent of the total emissions currently, and land transport about 14 per cent.

Increasing appetite for electricity, especially amid digitalisation and the electrification of vehicles here, means the power sector is likely to contribute a larger percentage to Singapore's emissions if it does not decarbonise.

So, net-zero emissions from the power sector would put the Republic in a better position to achieve its climate targets.

The report charted three potential scenarios on the power sector's path to net-zero emissions by 2050, factoring in geopolitical uncertainties and how fast clean energy technologies come online.

One scenario involves tapping nuclear energy. In the other two, electricity imports are key contributors to Singapore's energy mix.

One posits countries banding together to advance climate action and technologies coming online quickly, and another is where countries collaborate even as technological advancements stall due to a protracted recovery from Covid-19.

The report noted that a pre-feasibility study done by the Government concluded in 2012 that nuclear technologies available then were not fit for deployment here.

But nuclear technology has improved since then, the report added, recommending that EMA monitors developments in nuclear fission small modular reactors and nuclear fusion technology.

The report also projected that several commercial small modular reactors, which can be built quickly and placed in locations not possible for larger nuclear plants, will be available worldwide from the late 2030s.

By the 2040s, it added, developments in nuclear technology will likely enable Singapore to determine that nuclear energy is viable and to start developing domestic generation capacity.

To prepare Singapore for adopting nuclear technology, the report recommends that the country charts out required capabilities, regulations, resources and a timeline for Singapore to become a fast adopter of these technologies.

Chairman of the Energy 2050 Committee Choi Shing Kwok, who is also director and chief executive officer of research centre ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, said Singapore's effort to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels over the next 30 years will be complex, with uncertainties over the options available.

Given this, Singapore will have to stay nimble, he said.