Nuclear fusion can create economic opportunity for Singapore: Tan See Leng

Singapore's Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Tan See Leng has highlighted the potential economic opportunities in nuclear fusion, even though the technology remains years away from widespread use. Speaking at the FusionX:APAC conference, Tan pointed out that the global fusion industry is projected to be worth US$419.84 billion (S$535 billion) by the end of this decade.

While nuclear fusion differs from the current nuclear fission process used in power plants, Tan is optimistic about the progress made, noting that recent experiments have produced more energy than in previous trials. The minister emphasized that even without its own fusion reactor, Singapore can capitalize on its talent, research and development capabilities, and industrial strengths to support the growing fusion economy.

Fusion is a process similar to that of the sun, but it is significantly more challenging to achieve on Earth due to the extreme temperatures required - around 100 million degrees Celsius. Despite these challenges, fusion energy is attractive because it poses a lower risk of accidents and emits no greenhouse gases. Tan also mentioned that Singapore's expertise in precision engineering, advanced manufacturing, and plasma measurement could provide valuable support to the global fusion industry.

The country's vibrant tech ecosystem, comprising research, industry, talent, and capital, is well-positioned to foster emerging technologies like fusion.