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SINGAPORE: A new training programme will be developed to enhance Singapore’s nuclear safety capabilities and regulatory understanding, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Monday (Apr 20).<\/p>\n
The agency said that the programme will be developed under an agreement it signed with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on nuclear regulatory skills development.<\/p>\n
The memorandum of cooperation was formalised on Apr 17 at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Convention on Nuclear Safety Review meeting in Vienna.<\/p>\n
It was signed by Mr Ang Kok Kiat, group director of the NEA’s Radiation Protection and Nuclear Science Group, and Mr David Skeen, director of the NRC’s Office of International Programs.<\/p>\n
The training programme is intended for the National Environment Agency and its newly formed nuclear safety division.<\/p>\n
As part of the programme, NEA officers will undergo courses and attachments with the NRC to gain experience in areas such as reactor regulation, safety assessments, probabilistic risk assessment and inspection procedures.<\/p>\n
“This enhanced expertise will deepen Singapore’s nuclear regulatory knowledge as Singapore studies the potential deployment of nuclear energy,” said the agency.<\/p>\n
The agreement builds on a long-standing partnership between NEA and the NRC, which has included technical information exchange and cooperation in nuclear safety matters.<\/p>\n
It also complements the broader US-Singapore civil nuclear cooperation framework. This was reinforced by the signing of the bilateral 123 Agreement<\/a> in 2024, a US-required pact that allows countries to access American nuclear technology and expertise under non-proliferation rules.<\/p>\n “It also reflects Singapore’s commitment to building world-class nuclear safety capabilities through international partnerships, including through collaborations with other nuclear regulators in France and Finland”, said NEA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n