S’pore, UK ink agreement to cooperate on nuclear safety regulation, training

An agreement to exchange information and expertise on nuclear safety regulation, including for small modular reactors, has been signed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore and the United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation.

The agreement, signed on June 1, also covers the training of scientific and technical personnel.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation regulates more than 30 nuclear sites in the UK, and is among the first few international regulators to review the safety of small modular reactors. 

Small modular reactors are considered more suitable for densely populated places like Singapore as they have a lower power capacity and enhanced safety standards, and require much smaller buffer zones, compared with conventional reactors.

The partnership supports the Republic’s overarching effort to build capabilities in nuclear safety, and to study the feasibility of the safe deployment of nuclear energy in Singapore, said NEA in a statement on June 2.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on day one of her five-day visit to London and Paris to meet nuclear regulators, experts and technology providers. 

While Singapore has not made a decision on adopting nuclear power, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in May that the Republic will undergo an assessment by the United Nations atomic watchdog in 2027 to determine if the country is ready to make an informed decision on whether to deploy nuclear energy.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) assessment will help determine whether Singapore has the expertise, institutions and frameworks to make an informed decision on the potential deployment of advanced nuclear energy technologies – such as small modular reactors – in the future, he said then.

As part of the assessment, IAEA will convene a team of international experts to visit Singapore and study the country’s capabilities across 19 key areas, including nuclear safety, managing radioactive waste and emergency planning. 

Units of small modular reactors can be manufactured and then shipped and installed on-site, making them more affordable to build than large traditional reactors, which are often custom designed for a particular location, sometimes leading to construction delays, according to the IAEA.

“The (agreement) will strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in radiation protection, nuclear safety and assessment,” said Koh Li-Na, deputy chief executive of meteorological services and radiation protection at NEA.

She inked the agreement with Paul Dicks, the UK office’s director of regulation of new reactors.

“Through partnerships with well-established regulators like the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation, NEA will deepen its technical expertise to understand new reactor technologies and build the institutional capabilities needed to rigorously assess nuclear safety,” added Koh.

NEA has also been developing Singapore’s nuclear safety and regulatory capabilities through close partnerships with established regulators in Finland, France and the United States, as well as with ASEAN partners with whom the country engages in nuclear safety cooperation and discussions.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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