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Expert says public perception foils nuclear plant development
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Maintenance – A worker carries out a routine panel inspection at the 150 KV Mampang Dua electrical relay station in Jakarta on Sept.29.
(Antara/Widodo S. Jusuf)
T
he government may find it impossible to build nuclear power plants as long as there is misperception about nuclear energy, an alternative energy source that could help the country stave off an energy crisis.
National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) head Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto said the government needed to educate people and change their misperception that nuclear energy was dangerous before it could develop a nuclear power plant.
“We need to change people’s perception about nuclear energy and possible radiation, making them consider it friendly instead of scary. The minister has asked us to change that false perception first and not hastily build a nuclear plant,” Djarot as quoted by kompas.com.
He was referring to Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto. They discussed a plan to build a nuclear power plant on Monday.
Djarot said the government was arranging a road map on construction by state electricity company PLN. He said the building of a nuclear power plant would be a last resort.
“We have not received any information on the progress of the composing of the road map,” Djarot said.
According to a document signed by former energy and mineral resources minister Sudirman Said in 2015, BATAN was prepared to build four nuclear power plants and had pinpointed possible locations, including West Kalimantan, Riau Islands and Central Java.
The document also mentions a plan to have 5,000 megawatt nuclear power plants by 2025. (ecn/ebf)
