If S’pore decides on nuclear power, major grid changes may not be required

SINGAPORE – Nuclear power plants can provide a stable supply of electricity, similar to the current fossil fuel plants powering Singapore, so tapping such an energy source in the future may not require a major change for Singapore’s power grid, said SP PowerGrid chief executive Jimmy Khoo on Sept 2.

But he added that as nuclear energy is still being studied, there might be new requirements to consider as the grid operator.

Singapore has not made a decision on whether nuclear power could be part of its energy mix in the future, but is taking steps to study the feasibility of its use. At the same time, the Republic also plans to tap other sources of energy, including imports from its neighbours and more renewable energy.

However, renewable energy generation can be intermittent, with more electricity generated by solar panels when the sun is directly overhead, and less during the early morning and late afternoon hours, for example.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a tour of the group’s electricity distribution control centre in Ayer Rajah, Khoo noted that nuclear reactions generate energy which drives steam engines, similar to how electricity is generated in Singapore’s existing combined cycle gas turbine facilities.

“(Nuclear plants) are like any other generator,” he said, contrasting the output of a nuclear plant with that from renewable sources, such as solar panels.

During the tour, the media was given a behind-the-scenes look at how Singapore’s electricity network is being managed, including a visit to an underground cable tunnel managed by the group.

SP PowerGrid – which is a wholly owned subsidiary of SP Group – owns and operates the electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks.

SP Group, as the operator of Singapore’s network of power cables that distribute the energy from power plants to homes and businesses, will also have to ensure that it is ready to enable Singapore’s transition from fossil fuels to other energy sources in a reliable way, Khoo said.

Singapore has a target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

This would entail bringing down emissions from its power sector, which currently contributes about 40 per cent of total emissions, as well as that from other emissions-producing sectors like land transport, which makes up about 15 per cent of total emissions.

“The grid is a key piece in the energy transition,” he said, citing the need for a stable power supply to charge up electric vehicles, for instance.

He highlighted how the electrical network must always be kept in fine balance between demand and supply.

“A little disturbance can affect any part of the network. It’s a big machine and it’s very finely tuned,” he said, noting that SP Group oversees 28,000km of electricity underground cables.

Disturbances could lead to outages, he added.

For example, a voltage surge left large parts of Spain and Portugal without power for up to 16 hours in April 2025.

With Singapore moving to deploy more solar power, such as through raising its solar deployment target from 2 gigawatt-peak (GWp) to 3 GWp by 2030, Khoo said that there will be more interventions in the future to better integrate renewable energy like solar into the grid.

SP Group is working to mitigate this by using technologies such as batteries to ensure the grid is always in fine balance.

For example, the group in October 2025 launched a 9.6MW battery energy storage system to better facilitate integrating more weather-dependent renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, into the grid.

“The general posture is to encourage more solar and then enable it... Renewable energy brings with it issues but if you’re focused on the priority of green transition, then we have to accept and embrace the technology with interventions,” he said.