Building an underground nuclear power plant in Singapore - geological and geotechnical considerations

Abstract

Singapore has long been facing a lack of energy issue. One of the possible solutions that has been considered is to construct a nuclear power plant. With a very limited land, going underground is one possible attractive alternative.

Some options and types for the most suitable nuclear power plant for Singapore will be proposed. Various cavern shapes, dimensions, and arrangements are analyzed using the Phase2 software. The best option is chosen after comparing the surrounding rock conditions once they are excavated. It is suggested that each component of the power plant to be allocated in single cavern as it results in less deformation of the surrounding rock.

However, this 2-Dimensional analysis does not give a sufficient result for it does not include the analysis in longitudinal direction. Therefore, a 3-Dimensional analysis is highly recommended in the future. Furthermore, some passive system reactors are recommended to be analyzed since it offers an advantage to lower the risks.

The decisions on the nuclear power plants’ construction has still being discussed and studied. Some of the neighboring countries around Singapore have also been considering the option. The details of the implications, especially about safety issues, should be studied carefully.