"PLN has signed agreements with the US and Japan for small modular reactors [SMRs]. This is something that needs to be considered to strengthen the support for our energy industry," Airlangga said at a national investment coordination meeting in Jakarta, as quoted by kompas.com.

According to the website of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), an SMR is a modular nuclear reactor-based power plant capable of generating up to 300 megawatts per unit. Because of their compact size, SMRs are considered more practical for flexible deployment across multiple parts of the country.

In addition to Japan and the US, countries such as South Korea, Russia, France and China have also expressed to President Prabowo Subianto an interest in assisting in the development of nuclear power in the country.

Airlangga said Indonesia had to consider nuclear power as it was a potential source of clean energy to replace fossil fuels. Over 20 countries, including Japan and the US, have pledged to double the capacity of nuclear power plants by 2050 to reduce global carbon emissions.

Separately, National Energy Council member Agus Puji Prasetyono said 29 potential locations in Indonesia were being considered for the construction of nuclear power plants.

"These are in specific areas, mostly outside Java, to boost the economies of the central and eastern parts of Indonesia," he said in Jakarta on Tuesday, as reported by tempo.co.

He added that the government considered three criteria in selecting the locations: that they were free from tsunami risks, far from volcanoes and not near active fault lines.

The provinces of West Kalimantan, Bangka Belitung, Southeast Sulawesi and North Maluku are to be prioritized in the initiative. One of the considerations for selecting these locations was their proximity to places of energy demand.