Singapore News -- Nuclear power generation has become a hot topic globally in recent years, and China is closely monitoring related developments. France is currently one of the countries with the highest utilization rate of nuclear energy in the world, with nuclear power accounting for nearly 80% of the total electricity supply. The picture shows the Catenon nuclear power plant located in eastern France. (Agence France Presse)
Singapore has not yet decided whether to deploy nuclear power generation in the future, but is closely monitoring the development of the nuclear energy sector, especially small modular reactors. To further strengthen relevant capacity building, the Energy Market Management Bureau plans to establish an advisory group no later than next year to provide professional guidance in 19 key areas related to nuclear energy technology, law, and organization.
Chen Jiaxian, Director of Energy Science and Technology of the Energy Market Administration, confirmed that the authorities were organizing an advisory group to support the research on key capabilities under the IAEA Milestones Approach when responding to the Lianhe Zaobao inquiry. This team is expected to be formed in the first half of next year.
From the initial consideration of nuclear power selection to the operation of the first nuclear power plant, the entire process may take 10 to 15 years. The IAEA milestone plan divides this process into three stages: consideration, preparation, and construction.
There are 19 clearly defined key considerations at each stage, including providing safeguards against being used for nuclear weapons, legal and regulatory frameworks, human resource development, stakeholder engagement, and radioactive waste management.
Chen Jiaxian said, "The IAEA milestone program provides a comprehensive framework for countries to understand the requirements for safety, reliability, and sustainability in deploying nuclear energy programs. ”
The IAEA milestone program covers a wide range of areas, and the Energy Agency plans to leverage the professional technical knowledge of the advisory team
Due to the wide coverage of the IAEA milestone program, the Energy Agency plans to leverage the professional and technical knowledge of the advisory team, including the team's understanding of how other countries can use the IAEA milestone program to promote nuclear energy development, to guide Singapore in building nuclear energy capabilities.
Chen Jiaxian said, "We need to ensure that the decision to deploy nuclear energy is carefully considered, taking into account safety, reliability, affordability, and environmental sustainability, which is in line with Singapore's national conditions and follows global best practices
The Energy Bureau announced on September 2nd that consulting firm Mott MacDonald Singapore will conduct research on the safety and feasibility of advanced nuclear energy technologies.
Chen Jiaxian said that from safety and feasibility studies of advanced nuclear energy technology to organizing advisory groups, these are all part of researching the potential for nuclear energy deployment, in order to explore decarbonization solutions for the energy sector in the context of increasing electricity demand.
Conclusion of Preliminary Research on Nuclear Energy in 2012: China Needs to Cultivate Nuclear Energy Safety Professionals
China completed preliminary research on nuclear energy in 2012, and the conclusion at that time was that nuclear energy technology was not yet applicable to Singapore. Therefore, the construction of nuclear power plants was not considered temporarily, but it was necessary to cultivate nuclear energy safety professionals.
In 2014, China established the Singapore Nuclear Energy Research and Safety Initiative; This year, the Singapore Institute for Nuclear Research and Safety launched to provide more space and advanced equipment for nuclear research work.
The Singapore Institute for Nuclear Research and Safety, located on the campus of the National University of Singapore, covers an area of 12900 square meters, with five floors and a laboratory on the basement level.
Last year, China signed the Civil Nuclear Energy 123 Agreement with the United States to promote the sharing and exchange of nuclear related knowledge and technology. Singapore has not yet decided whether to use nuclear energy, but it does not rule out the possibility of using nuclear power generation in the future when nuclear technology is safe and feasible.
On July 31 last year, Dr. Vivin (right), our Foreign Minister, signed the 123 Agreement on civil nuclear energy with Antony Blinken, the former Secretary of State of the United States.
The engineering system cannot guarantee foolproof response to emergency situations, and the ability to plan becomes crucial
Dr. Zhou Erbin, Senior Researcher at the Rajaratnam Institute of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, said in an interview that existing nuclear energy technology is relatively safe, but engineering systems cannot guarantee absolute safety. Therefore, the ability to plan for emergency situations is crucial to ensure public safety in the event of a nuclear accident.
Singapore needs to conduct more research to better assess whether nuclear energy can be safely deployed locally. In addition to the expertise of the country itself and the IAEA, it is also necessary to rely on professional assessments from other institutions to strengthen the assessment of the feasibility of Singapore's deployment of nuclear energy. ”
Dinita Setyawati, a senior energy analyst at Ember, an energy think tank, believes that studying the intergenerational impact of deploying nuclear energy is also important, including the safety of nuclear waste and the quality of life that nuclear energy can improve.
Singapore is already preparing for the deployment of nuclear energy. We have to wait and see Singapore announce its electricity development plan after 2030
Zhou Erbin pointed out that there are currently no other feasible alternative solutions to provide localized, zero emission, and reliable basic load power supply. Considering the challenges Singapore faces in energy security and the need to achieve net zero emissions in the digital economy era, deploying nuclear energy seems to be the only option
As for the deployment schedule of nuclear energy, Zhou Erbin believes that it depends on the global deployment of small reactors. He pointed out that Mott MacDonald Singapore's safety and feasibility studies on advanced nuclear energy technology are expected to provide a clearer timeline for the deployment of small reactor technology.
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