Singapore is weighing nuclear power after the Iran war shut the Strait of Hormuz and exposed how dependent the city-state is on imported oil and gas. The government has not decided whether to deploy nuclear energy, but the IAEA will assess the country's readiness in 2027. Singapore is also positioning itself inside the global nuclear fusion supply chain rather than building its own reactor.
Singapore's energy mix leans heavily on imported fuel, and that dependence has turned costly. Oil and gas make up 65% of the city-state's energy supply, and almost all of it comes from abroad, leaving the country exposed when the war in Iran disrupted Middle East supply routes.
Hormuz closure hit Asian energy buyers hardest
When the United States and Israel began military action against Iran in February, roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas trade moved through the Strait of Hormuz. About 85% of the approximately 18 million barrels per day that passed through the strait went to Asian markets. The overnight closure of Hormuz left import-dependent countries like Singapore in a precarious position.
As the second-most densely populated country after Monaco, Singapore has little spare land for utility-scale wind or solar farms. That constraint, combined with the Hormuz shock, has pushed officials toward the most energy-dense option available: nuclear power.
Singapore looks to diversify, not commit
The government has already increased clean-energy imports from Lao PDR and Malaysia. Even so, experts have warned that Singapore "cannot import its way to energy security". Prime Minister Lawrence Wong addressed the dilemma in a May 19 speech, saying: "There is no single solution for Singapore, there is no silver bullet." He said the country's energy strategy must be more diversified and forward-looking than before.
Next year, the International Atomic Energy Agency will assess whether Singapore is ready to produce nuclear energy, a review the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment called a key milestone in the country's nuclear capability building. The ministry has stressed, however, that Singapore has not decided whether to adopt or deploy nuclear power.
Fusion offers a supply-chain role instead of a reactor
Singapore is also eyeing nuclear fusion, though it is reluctant to build a reactor of its own, a technology still unproven in commercial applications. Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng told the FusionX:APAC event that fusion is one pathway the government is studying closely as it builds capability in newer energy technologies. He said Singapore has built up expertise and a talent pipeline in precision engineering, advanced manufacturing and plasma diagnostics, and intends to position itself as a key player in global fusion supply chains.
Source: Oilprice.com
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