The United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) have formalised a new partnership through a memorandum of understanding, establishing structured cooperation on the regulation of civil nuclear energy. The nuclear regulation MoU was signed at the ONR’s London office by Paul Dicks, Director of Regulation – New Reactors at ONR, and Li-Na Koh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the NEA. Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, witnessed the signing.
Valid for a period of five years, the agreement sets out a framework for the exchange of safety-related regulatory information across the entire nuclear lifecycle from siting, construction, and commissioning through to operations, decommissioning, and waste management. The MoU also covers the regulation of radioactive material transport, radioactive sources, emergency preparedness, and regulatory considerations around new reactor technologies. Both parties have agreed to implement a workplan that identifies specific focus areas for collaboration, desired outcomes, and arrangements for personnel exchanges and technical visits aimed at developing regulatory capability on both sides.
“Sharing licensing frameworks, inspection procedures, safety assessments and research helps ensure that robust regulatory standards keep pace with technological development, wherever in the world that development is happening,” ONR stated. The regulator added that the agreement forms part of its commitment to supporting nations embarking on nuclear energy deployment and contributing to worldwide nuclear harmonisation, and that it was pleased to walk the Singapore delegation through its assessment and licensing processes as Singapore works to establish its own nuclear regulatory framework.
For Singapore, the nuclear regulation MoU with ONR supports the NEA’s wider effort to build domestic capabilities in nuclear safety and to study the feasibility of safely deploying nuclear energy in the city-state. “The MoU with the United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation will strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in radiation protection, nuclear safety and assessment,” said Koh. “Through partnerships with well-established regulators like ONR, NEA will deepen its technical expertise to understand new reactor technologies and build the institutional capabilities needed to rigorously assess nuclear safety.”
The NEA, which serves as Singapore’s radiation and nuclear safety regulator, has been developing nuclear safety capabilities through engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and established regulatory bodies in Finland, France, and the United States, as well as regional neighbours involved in nuclear safety cooperation discussions.
In March 2022, Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) released a report concluding that nuclear energy could supply approximately 10% of the country’s energy needs, helping its power sector achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In September of the previous year, the EMA appointed UK-headquartered engineering firm Mott MacDonald to conduct a study on the safety and technical feasibility of advanced nuclear energy technologies including small modular reactors evaluating their safety performance based on safety features, technology maturity, and commercial readiness.
During his Budget 2025 speech delivered in February 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who also holds the position of Finance Minister, confirmed that the government would study the potential deployment of nuclear power and take systematic steps to build capabilities in this area. “We will need new capabilities to evaluate options, and to consider if there is a solution that Singapore can deploy in a safe and cost-effective way,” he said.