TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Govt readying new agency to lure nuclear power FDI
Indonesia is working to establish a new agency, as stipulated under a recent regulation on nuclear materials mining, to attract more foreign investors to help develop its nuclear energy industry.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A stock image shows the central control room of an unidentified nuclear power plant. (Shutterstock/ muph)
T
he government is looking to a new agency to boost foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia’s nuclear energy industry, despite concerns surrounding the development of nuclear power plants.
Rohadi Awaludin, head of nuclear research at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said the National Energy Council (DEN) was preparing to establish the Nuclear Energy Program Implementation Organization (NEPIO) to improve the investment climate for developing nuclear power plants in Indonesia.
“Regulatory certainty in nuclear technology development is critical,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Indonesia had uranium and thorium reserves of around 90,000 tonnes and 140,000 tonnes, respectively, Rohadi said, which was sufficient to power 10 nuclear power plants with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) each for 30 years.
But he admitted that processing the raw materials to power the plants would be difficult.
“We hope that the endorsement of this regulation will encourage [relevant] parties to jump-start this process in Indonesia,” he said, referring to the newly signed Government Regulation (PP) No. 52/2022 on safe and secure mining of nuclear materials.
The regulation requires businesses to conduct a feasibility study, submit a mine design and development plan, and create nuclear accident emergency responses and countermeasures. Businesses are also required to manage the nuclear waste they produce and hold radiation safety training courses.
