Nuclear power in Singapore

Abstract

Singapore has no fossil fuels of its own, and is an unfavourable site for renewable energy, with the possible exceptions of solar and geothermal energy, the latter on a small scale. It is exposed to supply interruptions and cost increases, and there is likely to be increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions. Singapore aspires to maintain its position as an influential technological and industrial leader in the region. The possibility of a nuclear power station in Singapore will need to be examined. This essay examines the constraints, among them the small size of Singapore, the heavy demands on land area, and the proximity of neighbouring countries. It discusses how those constraints might be resolved, in the light of successful nuclear developments elsewhere. It then considers different sites, including underground and offshore. A tentative conclusion is that the underground option is the most attractive: that option has been advocated in the past by scientists such as Teller and Sakharov. Security is an important factor in favour of that option. © 2010 The Institution of Engineers, Singapore.