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Singapore has not made any decision on the deployment of nuclear energy and is unable to commit to a timeline on taking a position regarding it, says Second Minister for Trade and Industry Dr Tan See Leng.
To this, Dr Tan said the government supports efforts to train scientists and experts in local and overseas universities.
Over the last decade, the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has awarded 30 scholarships for postgraduate studies in areas related to nuclear science and engineering. It has also developed a pipeline of around 40 researchers specialising in radiobiology, radiochemistry and nuclear safety.
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The closest system many countries have developed is based on tokamak,
which is an experimental device to create a nuclear fusion reaction.
This in turn produces energy to heat water and produce steam that drives turbines to generate electricity.
But the technology is still in the development stage and the actual project has not come to fruition yet, said Dr Tan.
He added that researchers from Singapore also have been sent to the United States to study how the technology will evolve.
“For nuclear fusion, to answer the question, I think it's still quite nascent, and we are probably at least a decade away.”
Nonetheless, the government is watching the space very closely and “nothing is off the table”, added Dr Tan.
“We continue to keep our options open to all kinds of low carbon energy, including, of course, nuclear energy, both fission and fusion.”
Earlier during parliament on Wednesday, Mr Giam had posed questions on Singapore's plans to stockpile uranium to secure energy sources ahead of other countries shifting towards nuclear energy, as well as what is being done to prepare a core of local talent to enter this industry.
