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.

- Shabana Begum Correspondent

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.