At the 2026 National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced plans to merge several southern islands,  including Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom and Pulau Sudong, to create a new Western island over the coming decades.

The island is envisioned as a future base for new industries, power-generation infrastructure and defence, potentially giving Singapore more room to prepare for its long-term energy and industrial needs.

So what could Singapore’s new Western island mean for our energy security and economy? And will this be an opportunity for Singapore to add nuclear power into its energy grids?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Tan-Soo Jie-Sheng, Director, Institute for Environment and Sustainability at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University Singapore, to find out more.