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ThorCon submits paperwork for Indonesia’s first nuclear power plant
The move marks the start of the licensing process for building the plant, which could begin commercial operations in 2032.
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A computer rendition shows a proposed 500-megawatt floating nuclear plant in Indonesia. The facility would run on thorium, a radioactive metal that is more readily available than uranium but whose technology is less developed. (Handout/Thorcon International)
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T ThorCon Power Indonesia (TPI), a subsidiary of United States-based nuclear power plant company ThorCon, has submitted a consultation paper to build a 500-megawatt thorium molten salt reactor (MSR) in Indonesia.
If successful, it would be the first nuclear power plant in the country.
The consultation paper, which has been received by the Nuclear Power Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), marks the start of the licensing process to build the power plant. According to the firm, investment for this project may total Rp 17 trillion (US$1.1 billion).
Sugeng Sumbarjo, interim head of Bapeten, said the evaluation of the consultation paper could be finished in two years.
"We will check the site, whether it meets [the requirements] or not. Are there any earthquakes or flood [risks] around the site? We will assess it," Sugeng said on Tuesday, as quoted by Bisnis.
Sugeng also explained that the small-scale nuclear plant would be located on Gelasa Island in Bangka Belitung province.
It measures 221 hectares, is uninhabited and according to Sugeng has as minimal risk of earthquakes and forest fires. The nearest active volcano, Krakatau, is around 400 kilometers away.
