Singapore to begin nuclear readiness review with IAEA in 2027

It seeks to build nuclear foundations before making any call.

Singapore will undertake the first phase of a nuclear readiness review with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2027, whilst recognising the city-state’s constraints.

The review, known as the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) Phase 1 Mission, will benchmark Singapore's capabilities against the IAEA's Milestones Approach.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu described the mission as a tool to assess readiness for an informed decision on nuclear energy deployment, not a commitment to adopt it.

Fu said the assessment will weigh nuclear safety, security and safeguards, environmental sustainability, economic viability, public confidence, and international obligations, calling Singapore's approach "deliberate, structured, and rigorous."

She framed the evaluation against the country's structural limits, describing Singapore as "a small, densely populated, and alternative energy disadvantaged city-state."

Before making any decision, the government said Singapore must first build the scientific, technical, institutional, and regulatory skills needed to evaluate reactor technologies objectively.