J

AKARTA: Bangka Belitung Governor Eko Maulana Ali insisted on Wednesday the construction of nuclear power plants in Bangka continue as part of efforts to meet the national electricity needs.

“The government is now searching for alternative energy sources to meet national electricity needs, as petroleum and natural gas reserves are depleting”, he said as quoted by Antara news agency

He admitted that Indonesia had enormous coal production, but it was not only used to meet domestic needs but international demands

The governor said he hoped the power plants could be established from 2025 to 2030 depending on the pre-feasibility and planning studies on the project for implementation from 2013 to 2015. The nuclear power plants will supply 40 percent of electricity needs in Sumatra, Java and Bali

He explained that the central government was currently assessing the future power plant sites to assure that the development would proceed without significant obstacles

“To build a 1-gigawatt power plant, we need approximately Rp 35 trillion (US$4.1 billion). As we are planning to build two power plants in the Muntok and Permis areas, Rp 70 trillion is needed. The government is not concerned on the cost as many foreign investors are ready to support the project” he said.