Singapore Explores Nuclear Fusion as Energy Pathway, Launches New Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry

Singapore officially renamed its former Ministry of Trade and Industry to the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI) on October 1, 2026, signalling the government's growing emphasis on energy security as a strategic priority. Speaking at a nuclear fusion conference the same day, Minister Tan See Leng said the city-state is following fusion energy closely as a potential pathway for its low-carbon transition.

Dr Tan described energy as an existential resource for Singapore that requires long-term planning. While acknowledging that nuclear fusion remains in early stages, he pointed to significant technological progress and growing commercial investment in the field globally. The remarks position Singapore among a growing number of countries hedging their energy strategies by monitoring fusion development alongside more established renewable and fission pathways.

Singapore previously announced in May 2026 that it would undertake a review in 2027 on its ability to make an informed decision on nuclear fission power, participating in Phase 1 of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review. The fusion commentary goes further, suggesting the government sees potential economic opportunity in the fusion supply chain even before the technology reaches commercial viability.

For a city-state with no fossil fuel resources and extremely limited land for renewables, nuclear options represent one of the few pathways to deep decarbonisation that does not depend heavily on energy imports. The ministry rebrand itself is a policy signal: by elevating energy to co-equal status with trade and industry in the ministry's name, Singapore is structurally embedding energy planning into its economic governance framework.