Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Budget 2025 speech, that the government will look at the potential deployment of nuclear energy in Singapore.
In the years leading up to this announcement, Singapore officials indicated that efforts to understand the technology were ongoing, but no decision had been made regarding the deployment of nuclear energy.
Singapore has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions to between 45Mt and 50Mt by 2035, demonstrating its strong commitment to climate action even as other nations scale back their efforts. This commitment, declared to the UN, marks a significant milestone in Singapore’s journey towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Government will also pump in another US$5B into its existing Future Energy Fund to support Singapore’s efforts to secure clean power, he said in his Budget speech.
“Be it electricity imports, hydrogen or nuclear, we will need to make major investments in new infrastructure,” added PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister.
“Today, we face a different challenge. The industries of the future – artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals – are highly energy-intensive. To meet these growing energy needs and to bring down our carbon emissions at the same time, we will need more clean power,” he said.
“Expanding access to clean energy is therefore a major national imperative.”
Singapore is considering this option in the face of limitations in accessing renewable energy, nuclear is one of the low-carbon sources being considered to enhance the nation’s energy security, affordability, and reduce its carbon footprint.
“Our options are inherently limited because we do not have the natural resources nor the land to meet our needs using hydro, wind or solar power,” PM Wong said.
Singapore currently relies on natural gas, a fossil fuel, for approximately 95% of its energy needs, with the power sector accounting for about 40% of the country’s total emissions.
To achieve its long-term climate goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, Singapore must reduce carbon emissions from this sector.
Prime Minister Wong noted that while conventional nuclear technologies were previously deemed unsuitable for Singapore, the country continues to monitor advancements in this area to keep its options open.
