Indonesia to build nuclear power plant by 2016

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will build a nuclear power plant by 2016 at a total cost of around US$1.5 billion, an official said.

"In line with the Presidential Decree No. 5/2006 on the national energy policy, the Indonesian government is intending to continue exploring alternative energy and other forms of energy, to ensure adequate energy supplies," Adiwardojo, Deputy Chairman of the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) said here on Thursday.

Indonesia would cooperate with Japan in developing the nuclear power plant as the two countries had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on nuclear energy cooperation, he said.

"Japan has been developing nuclear energy for about 50 years for peaceful purposes, especially for its national electrical power supplies," he said.

"BATAN has so far been preparing various technologies needed for developing the alternative energy. Thus, Indonesia is actually ready to further enter the nuclear era," he said.

Indonesia has been operating reactor researches for 42 years without receiving any negative record from national as well as international teams inspecting the operation, he said.

"Of the 13 countries surveyed, Indonesia has received the best record on its nuclear reactor operation," he said.

Indonesia`s first nuclear reactor was inaugurated by the first founding president Soekarno on February 20, 1965. In the beginning, the reactor had a capacity of producing 250 KW of electricity, and it has been increased to 2000 W or 2 MW.

"Over the past 42 years, the Bandung Triga Reactor has been operated for researches in various fields, including health, agriculture, and chemistry. It has also been used for scientific and technological researches by our younger generation," he said.

In cooperation with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), BATAN has lately been organizing a series of seminars on nuclear energy to increase the public knowledge and awareness about the use of the alternative energy.