SINGAPORE: Singapore cannot confirm the current state or level of maturity of neighbouring countries’ plans for nuclear energy, Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology Tan See Leng said on Thursday (Nov 6).
The country is working closely with international agencies like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to “triangulate” the available data, he told parliament.
Dr Tan, who is also Manpower Minister, was responding to a question from Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on the extent of progress in the regional rollout of nuclear energy technologies.
Mr Singh (WP-Aljunied) had also asked whether other countries in the region were considering conventional or advanced nuclear technologies. The latter include small modular reactors and Generation IV technologies.
Dr Tan said it was “very difficult for us to comment” on what neighbouring countries were doing, adding that “a lot of that information is just not out there”.
“We have heard anecdotal announcements that there could be potential need for sitings 500km south of us. There (is) also need for more remote areas for small modular reactors, for instance, like in Kalimantan or even over in the eastern part of Indonesia,” he said.
He also said he could not commit to information about the timelines of neighbouring countries, which was gleaned from public reports.
