On October 27, Singapore hosts the inaugural IAEA@SIEW Forum, organized by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The chosen theme is “Atoms for Asia: Unlocking a Secure & Low-Carbon Future”. The event is part of the 19th Singapore International Energy Week, running from October 26 to 30.
The forum takes place in the Sands Grand Ballroom from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. Singapore’s Minister for Energy Tan See Leng and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi open proceedings. Two discussion sessions address policy, financing and international partnerships for nuclear programs, followed by the infrastructure, supply chain, skills and institutional capacity that need to be built. Policymakers, regulators, industry and finance representatives are at the table.
The week opened on October 26 with the SIEW Summit. The keynote was delivered by Bernard Fontana, chief executive of EDF, alongside Grossi, following an address by Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. Aleshia Duncan of the US Department of Energy identified technology demonstration, predictable licensing processes and shared commercial risk as the conditions for making advanced reactors financeable.
The backdrop is rising electricity demand across Asia. Grossi argues that nuclear can help Asia meet it with a reliable source of power. The forum’s program points to growing interest in SMRs, stronger backing from international financial institutions and new investment. Eric Gray, head of Power at GE Vernova, said nuclear could play a larger role in the energy mix over the next decade and cited the company’s SMR project in Canada. He also praised Singapore’s efforts to build the expertise needed to assess nuclear options.
Guests during the week include Theodore Garrish, the DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Sama Bilbao y León of the World Nuclear Association and Gary Rose of AtkinsRéalis and CANDU International. With ministers from Australia, the Philippines, Finland and the United States, and the ASEAN Secretary-General, nuclear now has a regular platform at Southeast Asia’s leading energy event. If the format is confirmed in the coming years, Singapore could become the place where ASEAN countries weighing nuclear compare regulations, financing and suppliers.
