SINGAPORE, April 20 — Singapore has taken another step in its cautious exploration of nuclear energy, signing a training agreement with the United States to build up its regulatory and safety expertise, The Straits Times reported.

The Republic’s nuclear safety regulator, under the National Environment Agency (NEA), inked the deal with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) on Friday, establishing a two-year programme aimed at strengthening technical capabilities and oversight.

Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, a dedicated training programme will be developed for NEA’s Nuclear Safety Division, which was formed in October 2025. Officers will undergo courses and attachments with the US NRC, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as reactor regulation, safety assessments, probabilistic risk analysis and inspection procedures.

“This enhanced expertise will deepen Singapore’s nuclear regulatory knowledge as Singapore studies the potential deployment of nuclear energy,” NEA said.

The agreement was signed by NEA Radiation Protection group director Ang Kok Kiat and US NRC Office of International Programs director David Skeen during the Convention on Nuclear Safety Review Meeting organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.

Singapore has yet to decide whether to adopt nuclear power, but the move underscores a steady effort to build institutional readiness as it weighs its options. With limited renewable energy resources, nuclear power is being studied as a low-carbon alternative that could support both climate targets and energy security.

The NEA said the training initiative builds on an existing partnership with the US NRC, which has long included technical exchanges and cooperation on nuclear safety matters.

It also sits within a broader US-Singapore civil nuclear cooperation framework, reinforced by the signing of the “123 Agreement” in July 2024, allowing the city-state to tap American expertise in nuclear technologies and research.

Singapore has been laying the groundwork on multiple fronts. In March, the NEA announced plans to commission three studies examining international safety standards and the environmental impact of potential nuclear facilities, including reactor design, operational safeguards and accident prevention.

Efforts to develop local expertise are also under way. The Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute, launched at the National University of Singapore in July 2025, aims to train 100 nuclear specialists by 2030.