SINGAPORE: It is the year 2050 and Singapore has started generating nuclear power, supplying about 10 per cent of its energy needs.
In the Energy 2050 Committee Report, nuclear energy - which was once assessed to be unsuitable for Singapore - was identified asWhat is nuclear energy? During nuclear fission, a neutron collides with a uranium atom and splits it, releasing more neutrons. These extra neutrons continue to collide with other uranium atoms, which will also split and generate additional neutrons in a multiplying effect, creating a chain reaction. Each time the reaction occurs, a large amount of energy in the form of heat and radiation is released.
There were more than 50 additional nuclear reactors under construction in 2020, and hundreds more are planned primarily in Asia.The report described two other scenarios through which Singapore could achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, taking into account uncertainties in geopolitics and the development of clean energy technologies.
According to Our World in Data, which took into account death estimates from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, direct and indirect deaths from the 2011 Fukushima disaster and estimated occupational deaths, nuclear energy has a death rate of 0.07 deaths per terawatt-hour. “Singapore will want to see how other countries deploy these different technologies, what the costs are, the management, regulation, safety, waste,” he added.
He added that nuclear fusion technology, which is being developed globally, also has the potential to be much safer as it does not cause chain reactions and produce long-lived radioactive waste.Besides nuclear energy, Singapore is also considering geothermal energy as a low-carbon alternative.in the northern and eastern parts of Singapore to determine the country’s potential of harnessing geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy covers a significant share of electricity demand in countries like New Zealand, Kenya and the Philippines.
Will this mean Singapore is also able to weaponise ourselves if needed?
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