SINGAPORE – With around two decades in the civil service and nearly three years at the Energy Market Authority (EMA), Mr Low Xin Wei wants to ensure that the research coming from Singapore’s young nuclear institute addresses the challenges of the country’s energy transition.
In March 2026, he was appointed the first chief executive of the 10-month-old Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The institute evolved from a decade-long nuclear research initiative at NUS.
Mr Low, 45, envisions the institute as a technical adviser to policymakers, so they have the scientific understanding to make informed decisions on tapping nuclear energy in Singapore.
Singapore has not made a decision to go nuclear, but is laying the groundwork to study it thoroughly as an alternative energy option. It is forming dedicated nuclear teams at EMA and the National Environment Agency, and is also monitoring developments in advanced nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs).
SMRs are advanced and compact reactors that can be factory-assembled and installed in dense urban areas. They are also designed to be safer than traditional large reactors.
While the institute of more than 50 researchers has expertise in the science – studying advanced nuclear reactors, the spread of radioactive particles, and the effects of low-dose radiation on living things – it also needs to examine the engineering aspects of running a power plant, said Mr Low.
It must also consider how atomic power could fit into the country’s future energy mix, which will include renewables, he told The Straits Times in his first interview as SNRSI’s chief.
He said: “The energy transition is a tricky business; you not only have to look at the promise behind the technology itself. You have to answer questions like: ‘How can it scale?’, ‘How can costs be driven down?’ and ‘Will the supply chain work out?’
“In any academic setting, there is this danger of looking at the world through rose-tinted lenses: ‘If my science is sound, downstream adoption shouldn’t be a problem’.”
While it is not wrong to be optimistic, Mr Low said SNRSI has to not only produce excellent science, but also perfectly tackle real-world issues such as engineering constraints, building a plant on time without exceeding budget, and educating the public.
The five-storey institute at NUS officially opened in July 2025, led by director Chung Keng Yeow, who had also been head of the institute’s predecessor, the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative, since 2018.
In late 2025, Mr Low heard that the institute was seeking its first CEO, from a call put out by NUS and a ministry.
He said: “Having just a university-based academic director was not quite sufficient. SNRSI will look a little bit more of a different animal than just a research-performing entity.”
The institute needs to be a school, possess a strong outreach arm, coordinate research across different institutes, and work with agencies on a myriad of nuclear-related issues, Mr Low added.
The institute is also exploring introducing Singapore’s first master’s programme focused on nuclear engineering in 2027. The courses could be taught by lecturers from various faculties.
Currently, NUS’ mechanical engineering department offers a graduate module on nuclear energy technologies.
