Jakarta Globe, June 18, 2011
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President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has poured cold water on the idea of building nuclear power plants in Indonesia.
Yudhoyono’s comments in Japan are likely to be a major blow to Indonesia’s nuclear lobby, which most recently proposed two sites in Bangka Belitung province for two nuclear power plants, claiming it had the support of local people.
Speaking during his visit to Japan on Friday, Yudhoyono was quoted by the Kyodo News as saying he had strong reservations about following through with the plans in Indonesia, which like Japan is susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis.
“If we could build energy sources other than a nuclear energy plant, we will choose those kinds of energy sources,” Yudhoyono told Kyodo in Tokyo, adding that nuclear power was “very much debatable” and that safety must be ensured before going ahead.
“What happened in Japan last March can happen in Indonesia because (the two countries’) geography is very much similar,” he said in reference to the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which triggered an ongoing nuclear disaster.
Kyodo interpreted the remarks as meaning that Indonesia was “unlikely” to begin building a nuclear plant during his final term in office, which ends in October 2014.
Yudhoyono was quoted as saying that alternative sources of energy, including geothermal, solar and hydroelectric power, should be considered.
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