PUBLISHED ONJune 30, 2026 2:01 PMBYSean LerSingapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) inked an agreement with Indonesia's Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) on nuclear regulatory cooperation on June 30, including in the areas of radiation protection and nuclear safety, security and safeguards.
The agreement was signed in Jakarta by NEA chief Benjamin Koh and Bapeten's acting chairman Zainal Arifin.
Under the agreement, the two agencies will carry out these collaborations through activities such as joint training, personnel exchanges, research partnerships, and technical meetings.
“This collaboration builds on our longstanding bilateral partnership to strengthen cooperation in nuclear safety, regulatory oversight and emergency preparedness, as Singapore studies the potential role of nuclear energy in its future energy mix," Dr Koh said.
He added that it also reflects NEA's commitment to working with its Southeast Asian neighbours to strengthen regional cooperation, build trust, and enhance collective preparedness for radiological emergencies.
Echoing Dr Koh's point on partnership, Zainal said that the cooperation goes beyond a technical exchange, but is also a long-term strategic partnership that contributes to regional safety and security.
"We believe that this partnership has significant potential to be elevated into a more strategic and impactful collaboration, particularly in strengthening regulatory capacity, enhancing safety and security oversight, and addressing emerging challenges in nuclear and radiation applications," he added.
Singapore will be evaluating its ability to potentially deploy nuclear energy through an assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2027.
The assessment, called the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR), is part of the IAEA milestones approach — an internationally recognised framework to guide countries on the commitments and obligations associated with developing a nuclear power programme.
The milestones approach assesses 19 areas, such as managing nuclear safety, radioactive waste, and emergency planning.
Singapore plans to undertake the INIR phase 1 mission in 2027, following the completion of a self-evaluation report.
However, the prime minister has emphasised that the decision to adopt and deploy nuclear energy has not been made yet.
Speaking at the Energy Market Authority's 25th anniversary dinner on May 19, PM Lawrence Wong said the purpose of the phase 1 review is to assess whether Singapore is ready to make an informed decision on nuclear energy deployment.
He added that the decision to deploy nuclear power will heavily depend on safety, which will always be the "overriding priority".
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