SINGAPORE — Singapore has taken another significant step in exploring nuclear energy, signing a landmark cooperation agreement with China that could help shape how the city-state evaluates one of the most consequential energy choices in its history.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) signed a memorandum of understanding on August 17 covering cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, as Singapore accelerates efforts to build the expertise needed to determine whether nuclear power could eventually become part of its energy mix.
The agreement does not mean Singapore has approved construction of a nuclear power plant.
Instead, it creates another international channel through which Singapore can develop the technical knowledge, regulatory expertise and manpower required to independently judge whether nuclear energy can be deployed safely and practically in a small, densely populated country.
What Singapore and China Will Work On
Under the MOU, cooperation will cover several critical areas, including safety and technical assessments of nuclear reactor technologies, manpower training, scientific visits, public education and engagement, nuclear safeguards and security, and applications of nuclear technology.
The agreement was signed by MTI Permanent Secretary for Energy and Trade Augustin Lee and CAEA Vice-Chairman Liu Jing.
Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng and CAEA Chairman Shan Zhongde witnessed the signing.
For Singapore, the broader objective is particularly important: developing enough domestic expertise to conduct an independent, objective and technical assessment of nuclear energy rather than relying entirely on technology suppliers or foreign governments.
China Is Only One Part of Singapore’s Nuclear Strategy
The China deal should not be viewed in isolation.
Singapore has been steadily expanding nuclear-energy cooperation with several major international partners, including the United States, France and South Korea, suggesting the government is deliberately seeking expertise from multiple nuclear ecosystems rather than committing itself to a single technology provider.
In March 2026, Singapore’s Energy Market Authority and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power signed an MOU focused specifically on capability building involving small modular reactors, or SMRs.
That agreement was the first civil nuclear energy MOU between a South Korean nuclear power company and a Singapore government agency.
SMRs have attracted considerable attention because they are designed to be substantially smaller than conventional nuclear plants and could potentially offer more flexible deployment options.
Whether such reactors could ultimately meet Singapore’s stringent requirements for safety, cost, land use, waste management and energy security, however, remains under study.
Singapore Is Building a Nuclear Safety System Before Making a Decision
The government is also strengthening the institutional infrastructure that would be required before Singapore could seriously consider operating nuclear reactors.
In April, Singapore signed a new five-year framework with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) aimed at strengthening capabilities in areas ranging from assessing new energy technologies to environmental radiation monitoring, food safety testing, nuclear imaging and cancer therapy.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency also signed an agreement with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop training for officers in its newly formed nuclear safety division.
That programme includes courses and attachments involving reactor regulation, inspection procedures and nuclear safety assessments.
The expanding international partnerships point to a broader strategy: build the regulators, scientists and technical expertise first — and decide whether to deploy nuclear power later.
A Major Test Is Coming in 2027
Singapore’s international nuclear partnerships are also preparing the country for an important milestone.
The government is preparing for the IAEA’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review Phase 1 mission in 2027.
The review represents another step in assessing whether Singapore has developed the institutional and technical foundations required to seriously consider nuclear power.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had already signalled the direction in his Budget 2025 speech, when he said Singapore would study the potential deployment of nuclear power while systematically building capabilities in the field.
Why Nuclear Energy Is Back on Singapore’s Radar
Singapore faces an unusually difficult energy challenge.
Its limited land area restricts the amount of large-scale renewable generation that can be developed domestically, while the country’s highly developed economy requires a reliable and increasingly low-carbon electricity supply.
Advanced nuclear technologies therefore present a potentially important — though still technically and politically challenging — option.
The attraction is straightforward: nuclear plants can generate large amounts of electricity while producing very low operational carbon emissions.
But Singapore’s geography makes the safety question especially demanding. Any future technology would have to satisfy exceptionally high standards involving reactor safety, emergency planning, radioactive waste, security and environmental impact.
That explains why Singapore’s current strategy appears deliberately cautious.
Rather than announcing a reactor or choosing a supplier, the government is building relationships with countries possessing different technologies and regulatory systems.
China now joins that expanding network.
The Bigger Picture
The Singapore-China agreement therefore represents something more significant than another diplomatic MOU.
Singapore is assembling the expertise needed to answer a question that could influence its energy system for decades:
Can a densely populated island nation safely harness next-generation nuclear power?
There is still no final decision.
But with agreements now spanning China, South Korea, the United States, France and the IAEA — and with an international nuclear infrastructure review approaching in 2027 — Singapore’s exploration of nuclear energy is becoming increasingly structured and concrete.
The latest agreement does not mean a nuclear plant is coming to Singapore.
It does mean Singapore is increasingly serious about developing the expertise required to decide whether one eventually should.
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