Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto and Singapore’s minister Tan See Leng witnessed the signing of a five-year nuclear safety cooperation agreement during Puisto’s visit to Singapore.
The agreement brings together Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre and the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) at the National University of Singapore.
The partners will cooperate on reactor technology assessment, safety analysis, radioactive waste and spent fuel management. They will also help develop the expertise Singapore needs to assess emerging nuclear technologies.
Singapore has yet to decide whether to adopt nuclear energy. The cooperation will support its assessment of the technology’s potential role in the country’s future energy mix.
Exploring a hydrogen pilot plant
The visit also produced a cooperation agreement between Finnish technology company ROTOBOOST and Singapore’s Sembcorp.
The companies will explore developing a pilot plant on Jurong Island using methane pyrolysis. This process splits methane into hydrogen and solid carbon.
The proposed pilot would assess the technology’s technical and commercial viability, including the potential use of hydrogen to generate power with lower carbon emissions.
Puisto visited Singapore with a 16-member Finnish business delegation from the built environment and energy sectors.
ScandAsia previously reported on the delegation’s planned visit, which aimed to connect Finnish companies with customers and partners in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
The two agreements provide concrete outcomes from that visit, covering both nuclear safety expertise and the exploration of alternative energy technologies.
Sources: VTT, Sembcorp Industries and Embassy of Finland in Singapore
