KHNP and Singapore EMA Sign First Civil Nuclear MOU to Study SMRs

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Singapore on 1 March 2026 during the Korea–Singapore Summit to cooperate on civil nuclear capability building focused on small modular reactors (SMRs). The agreement was signed by KHNP’s acting president and CEO — reported variously as Jeon Dae-wook, Dae-wook Chun or Daewook Chun — and EMA Chief Executive Puah Kok Keong, also reported as Kok Keong Puah.

Puah Kok Keong framed the move as part of Singapore’s energy resilience push, saying, “For a small country with very limited domestic energy resources, it is critical that we explore all pathways that can strengthen our energy resilience in a low-carbon world. Advanced nuclear energy technologies hold promise as a potential clean energy source,” and added, “Our partnership with KHNP will deepen our capabilities and technical understanding of SMRs, and enable us to assess the suitability of nuclear energy carefully and rigorously.”

Reporting from KHNP and EMA describes the MOU’s core activities as joint studies of SMRs for potential applications in Singapore, collaboration on human resource development and training, and sharing of technical information and best practices in advanced nuclear technologies. Eco-Business and other outlets explicitly note KHNP will participate in EMA-led studies to evaluate suitable SMR designs, placing KHNP in a provider and technical-advisor role for Singapore’s feasibility work.

Multiple sources characterize the pact as the first civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement between a Korean nuclear operator and a Singapore government agency; Eco-Business cites South Korea’s industry ministry for that claim, and EMA described it as the first such MoU between a Korean nuclear power company and a Singapore government agency. Businesskorea noted the diplomatic and economic tilt of the meeting, saying the MOU expands Korea–Singapore cooperation from trade and investment into future energy collaboration.

The agreement arrives against a backdrop EMA has been public about: limited domestic renewable potential, heavy reliance on imported natural gas, and long-term decarbonisation planning. EMA’s March 2022 report concluded nuclear energy could supply around 10% of Singapore’s energy needs and help the power sector reach net-zero carbon by 2050 — a benchmark observers will watch as the KHNP–EMA studies proceed.

KHNP’s credentials include operation of South Korea’s nuclear fleet as a government-owned enterprise under Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and overseas project experience including the Barakah plant in the United Arab Emirates. EMA also has precedent for capability-building MoUs: in October 2024 it signed an agreement with the UAE’s Emirates Nuclear Energy Company that included workshops, technical exchanges and staff attachments as mechanisms to develop skills and regulatory understanding.

Public reporting of the KHNP–EMA MOU contains no vendor names, reactor designs, study timelines, cost estimates, siting plans or detailed regulatory pathways. KHNP and EMA have not published the full signed MOU text in the initial reports, leaving regulators, operators and potential suppliers awaiting the study terms, governance arrangements and scheduling that will determine next steps for any Singapore SMR pathway.