See also:

• IAEA and the Muria proposal
• Contemporary alternative site proposals
• Ujung Lemah Abang site

Anaysis

Nuclear Power Not Needed in Indonesia: PLN, Ririn Radiawati Kusuma, Jakarta Globe, 23 March 2011

State Electricity Company (PLN) says it does not need nuclear power plants — yet. The comments follow a continued effort by the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) to push for the use of nuclear energy in Indonesia despite an international backlash due to the ongoing nuclear disaster in Japan.

Indonesia not ready for nuclear plant: Minister, Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta Post, 19 March 2011

Indonesia is not ready to build nuclear power plants due to human resources issues and public opposition, Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said.Gusti’s statement comes as the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) insists on going ahead with its nuclear plant program despite mounting opposition. Minister Gusti argued that nuclear power plants should be the last resort since the country still had several energy options.

Indonesia should go nuclear, says councilor, Jakarta Post, 17 March 2011

The Bangka Belitung Council on Thursday said the government should go ahead with plans to build a nuclear plant there. Council spokesman, Ismiryadi, said Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam also had plans to build nuclear power plants. He said if the neighboring countries realized their plans and something happened to their nuclear plants, there would not be any guarantees Indonesia would be safe from the impacts. “Considering their potential impacts, why don’t we build our own here? Would you prefer to suffer from the impacts [of nuclear radiation] from [Bangka Belitung] or from a neighboring country?” Ismiryadi said in Pangkal Pinang as quoted by kompas.com. He added that the radiation leakage from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan following a devastating earthquake should not stop plans to build a nuclear reactor in Bangka. To prevent such leakages, the plant’s structure should be earthquake-resistant, he said, adding that a feasibility study showed that the province was relatively safe from quakes.

Indonesia insists nuclear plans are safe, Anthony Deutsch, Financial Times, 17 March 2011

Indonesia will go ahead with a feasibility study for a nuclear power plant, even as China has put plans on hold in the wake of Japan’s nuclear crisis. “There are many places in Indonesia that are safe,” Ferhat Aziz of the National Atomic Energy Agency said in an interview on Thursday. “We are not so worried. Japan is a different story.”

Indonesia to Continue Plans for Nuclear Power, Aubrey Belford, New York Times, 17 March 2011

 

Adiwardojo, the head of nuclear energy development at Indonesia’s National Nuclear Energy Agency, said that concerns about a disaster like that of Japan’s were misplaced because any plants Indonesia would use would have technology far more advanced than that of the four-decade-old reactors at the Fukushima plant in Japan. Indonesia is carrying out its assessment of potential nuclear sites using standards and guidance from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Adiwardojo said. “The important thing isn’t that Indonesia is on the Ring of Fire or there are tsunamis, so we can’t build,” he said. “No, the important thing is that we fulfill the requirements.”

Best prepared to develop nuclear energy, Artasastra.com,  January 17, 2011

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Indonesia was the country best prepared to develop nuclear energy, along with the other two countries Jordan and Vietnam. “Support the IAEA as a political impetus for Indonesia to develop nuclear power,” said Ambassador to Austria I Gusti Agung Wesaka in Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday night. Currently, according to him, which is still a problem for Indonesia is public acceptance and political decisions, while other aspects are considered to comply.

Survey Shows Indonesian Acceptance of Nuclear Power on the Rise, Batan Says, ?Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta Globe, December 05, 2010

Batan chief Hudi Hastowo said in October that the agency had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bangka-Belitung provincial government regarding plans to build two nuclear power plants worth Rp 54 trillion ($6 billion) on Bangka. Herman Agustiawan, a member of the National Energy Council, also said the government planned to build a 10,000 megawatt plant in west Bangka and an 8,000 megawatt plant in south Bangka.

Indonesia plans to relocate its first planned nuke power plant, Rangga D. Fadillah, Jakarta Post, 2 December 2010

The government hopes to relocate the planned site of the country’s first nuclear power plant to Bangka island in Bangka Belitung province from Muria, Jepara, Central Java due to strong opposition from the local people. National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) head Hudi Hastowo said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the government would soon conduct a feasibility study to explore the possibility of developing a nuclear power plant in Bangka Belitung, the country’s youngest province known for its tin production. “Bangka Belitung is different from other planned nuclear power plant locations. The public welcome the plan and say they are proud to be the host of Indonesia’s first nuclear power plant,” he told a discussion at Hotel Ambhara in Jakarta.

House of Representative Commission VII member Bobby Aditya Rizaldi told the discussion the government needed to be more serious and have stronger political will to support the development of the planned plants. “Our government lacks political will. Just look at the very limited budget Batan has for its operation. The government establishes agencies to support its plans, but it makes them powerless,” he said.

Batan Siapkan Penyimpanan Limbah Radioaktif PLTN, [BATAN to prepare nuclear power station waste storage],  Republika OnLine, 19 November 2010

Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional (Batan) akan menyiapkan tempat penyimpanan limbah radioaktif yang paling aman untuk Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) yang rencananya akan segera dibangun. “UU tentang Ketenaganukliran no 10 tahun 1997 memang menyebut, meskipun PLTN nantinya tak dikelola oleh pemerintah, pengolahan limbah radioaktif tetap jadi tanggung jawab pemerintah dalam hal ini Batan,” kata Deputi Bidang Pengembangan Teknologi Daur Bahan Nuklir dan Rekayasa (PTDBR) Batan Dr. Djarot Sulistio di Jakarta, Jumat. Namun, lanjut dia, soal ini baru bisa dipastikan jika sudah jelas ada keputusan soal pembangunan PLTN, karena lokasi pengolahan limbah radioaktif ada di dekat PLTN. Untuk satu unit PLTN berkapasitas 1.000 MW menghasilkan limbah rata-rata tahunan hanya 300 meter kubik, sehingga tempat penyimpanan limbah radioaktif sementara itu bisa menampung sampai 20 tahun. Setelah itu baru dikirim ke tempat penyimpanan limbah radioaktif akhir. Kita punya banyak wilayah yang cocok untuk ini,” katanya.

One Nuke Reactor Costs US$224 Mln: Indonesian N-Energy Agency, Antara, Asia Pulse, November 22, 2010

The construction of a nuclear reactor in Indonesia will cost Rp2 trillion (US$224 million, but this source of energy is far cheaper compared with other sources to generate electricity, an expert said. “We will need Rp2 trillion to develop one nuclear reactor for generating electricity, yet this is the cheapest energy source,” expert staff at the National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) Wawan Purwanto said here on Sunday. “Nuclear energy is 1,500 per cent cheaper than other energy sources. Indonesia has the potentials to build nuclear power plants but to develop a nuclear power plant a commitment and a bold policy are needed,” he said. He said that Indonesia was now in urgent need for a nuclear energy to overcome electricity demand and to reduce subsidies on fuel oils. “The funds provided by the government to subsidize fuel oils could be used to build seven nuclear reactors. This suggests that nuclear power plants are more profitable,” he said.

Indonesia considers more nuclear plants, UPI, Nuclear Power Daily, November 22, 2010

Indonesia, which currently has three nuclear reactors, has geological conditions and enough material for reactors in “every province,” a government expert said. The country’s National Nuclear Energy Agency said the country’s existing nuclear power plants have a capacity of 90 megawatts but the country has the resources to build more than 30 plants, the Antara news agency reported Monday. “Every province in Indonesia has potential to develop a nuclear reactor because there are ample material stocks and appropriate geological support,” said Wawan Purwanto, an expert at the agency. Nuclear power energy is cheap, less polluting and efficient because it just needs an area measuring 60 acres, Purwanto said.

Batan Siapkan Penyimpanan Limbah Radioaktif PLTN, [BATAN to prepare nuclear power station waste storage],  Republika OnLine, 19 November 2010

Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional (Batan) akan menyiapkan tempat penyimpanan limbah radioaktif yang paling aman untuk Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) yang rencananya akan segera dibangun. “UU tentang Ketenaganukliran no 10 tahun 1997 memang menyebut, meskipun PLTN nantinya tak dikelola oleh pemerintah, pengolahan limbah radioaktif tetap jadi tanggung jawab pemerintah dalam hal ini Batan,” kata Deputi Bidang Pengembangan Teknologi Daur Bahan Nuklir dan Rekayasa (PTDBR) Batan Dr. Djarot Sulistio di Jakarta, Jumat. Namun, lanjut dia, soal ini baru bisa dipastikan jika sudah jelas ada keputusan soal pembangunan PLTN, karena lokasi pengolahan limbah radioaktif ada di dekat PLTN. Untuk satu unit PLTN berkapasitas 1.000 MW menghasilkan limbah rata-rata tahunan hanya 300 meter kubik, sehingga tempat penyimpanan limbah radioaktif sementara itu bisa menampung sampai 20 tahun. Setelah itu baru dikirim ke tempat penyimpanan limbah radioaktif akhir. Kita punya banyak wilayah yang cocok untuk ini,” katanya.

Many Indonesian nuclear experts working for Malaysia, Antara, 8 September 2010

Deputy Foreign Minister Triyono Wibowo said it was a regrettable thing that many Indonesian nuclear experts were now helping Malaysia prepare the construction of nuclear power plants. Speaking in his capacity as an expert on nuclear energy laws, Triyono said it was regrettable that the Indonesian nuclear experts were now working for Malaysia because Indonesia itself was preparing to build its own nuclear power plants. If Indonesia continued to lose its experts to other countries, it could eventually lag behind in nuclear energy development.
“It is also to be regretted that Indonesia has cancelled construction of its first nuclear power plant in the Muria Peninsula in Central Java,” said Triyono who had previously worked in Vienna as Indonesian ambassador to Austria where the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is based. IAEA had already approved the plant`s proposed location and the Indonesian government, through its embassy in Vienna, had settled all legal and administrative requirements with IEAE, he said.

Survey shows support for nuclear power in Indonesia, Nuclear Engineering International, 25 August 2010

ndonesia’s National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) says that 58% of people polled support the construction of a nuclear power plant in the region on the grounds that it can improve the stability of the region’s energy supply. The University of Indonesia conducted the survey during May and June 2010. Some 3000 people were polled in 22 areas of Java-Bali. Only a quarter of respondents were against a civil nuclear programme, with 18% undecided. The highest level of support came from NGOs (76%), members of Parliament (74%) and government officials (70.5%).

IAEA Considers Indonesia Ready To Develop Nuclear Energy, Bernama, 29 July 2010

BATAN has formed a BATAN Incorporation which involves stakeholders such as BATAN, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the Research and Technology Ministry, LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), state Power Utility (PLN), the Environmental Affairs Ministry, and the Industry Ministry. They will decided the technicalities such as the industry as owner, technology, location, and licensing, he said. The ownership will be established in 2011, but the form is not yet decided, whether it will be a state owned company or a totally private one.

Indonesian Plans to Build Nuclear Power Plant Suffer Major Set-Back, Antara, Jakarta Globe, 2 July 2010

 

The National Nuclear Power Agency has conceded defeat in its controversial attempts to construct a nuclear power plant on the Muria Peninsula in Central Java by 2016, saying opposition from locals has forced them to begin searching for another location. “It will take two to three years to find another suitable location, Hudi Hastowo, head of the agency, also know as Batan, said in Jakarta on Friday. “So the execution of the plan will undergo a delay, we cannot yet have a nuclear power plant by 2016,” he said.  He said that under Law No. 17/2007 on the state’s Medium-Term Development Plan, a nuclear power plant must come on line between 2014 and 2019.  He said a number of provincial administrations in the country had offered their respective provinces but any final decision would require meticulous and painstaking studies.  Among the provincial administrations concerned were those of Bangka Belitung, Banten, Gorontalo and West, South and East Kalimantan. He indicated that Bangka Belitung appeared to be the most favorable location.

RI nuclear power project`s timeframe pushed back to 2018-2020, ANTARA News, 1 May 2010

Indonesia is now definitively planning to have a nuclear power plant some time between 2018 and 2020, instead of in 2016 as previously scheduled, National Nuclear Power Agency (Batan) chief Hadi Hastowo said.

He said the Indonesian public should know that the country’s need for electricity is to soar drastically in the future and that building a nuclear power plant must be included in the national energy development plan if future electricity shortages would be prevented.

Babel Terdaftar Sebagai Studi Kelayakan PLTN, [Babel listed for nuclear feasibility study], Antara News, 26 April 2010

Provinsi Bangka Belitung (Babel) sudah terdaftar sebagai studi kelayakan untuk peletakan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) oleh Badan Atom Internasional.

“Ada tujuh titik yang tersebar di Babel yang telah diuji untuk peletakan PLTN antara lain di pesisir pantai wilayah Bangka Timur, Bangka Barat, Bangka Tengah dan Belitung Timur,” ujar Kepala Dinas Pertambangan dan Energi Babel, Noor Nedi di Pangkalpinang.

Ia mengatakan, Babel dinilai cocok untuk peletakan PLTN dari segi geologi, geografi, tata ruang, lingkungan masyarakat serta dampak ekonomi bagi masyarakat.

“Babel benar-benar aman untuk peletakan PLTN dari segi geologi, geografi, tata ruang, namun itu baru dilakukan studi kelayakan dan enam tahun kemudian baru ketahuan kepastiannya,” kata Noor Nedi.

Menurut dia, Presiden SBY mengatakan PLTN belum menjadi prioritas untuk dibangun saat ini guna mengatasi krisis listrik di Indonesia.

[“There are seven points spread around Babel which were studied as a location for a nuclear power plant, including the coastal areas of East Bangka, West Bangka, Central Bangka and East Belitung”, said the head of Mining and Energy for Babel, Noor Nedi.

He said, Babel was found to be a suitable site for locating a nuclear power plant in terms of geology, geography, layout, however the study has only just been done and only in six years will the outcome be knows”, he said.]

Bangka Belitung Registered By International Atomic Agency, AP, 26 April 2010

Boediono: Teknologi Nuklir Harus Kita Kuasai [Boediono: We must master nuclear technology], Wahyu Muryadi, Tempo Interaktif, 13 April 2010

Wakil Presiden Boediono mengatakan bahwa Indonesia harus menguasai teknologi nuklir. “Tentu saja untuk tujuan damai dan untuk kesejahteraan masyarakat,” ujar Boediono.

Upaya untuk memasuki kancah teknologi nuklir itu, kata Wapres, harus disepakati melalui keputusan politik bersama-sama seluruh rakyat. “Namun minat untuk mengembangkan teknologi nuklir ini harus dimulai darisekarang,” kata Wapres, yang saat itu didampingi Menlu Marty M. Natalegawa.

Tapi ketika disinggung soal kapankah Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) Muria di Jepara, Jawa Tengah, akan beroperasi, Wapres enggan menanggapi. “Soal kapan dan di mananya, nanti akan kita putuskan bersama. Saya sebaiknya tak usah bicara secara mendetail,” katanya.

[Vice President Boediono said that Indonesia must masrer nuclear technology. “Of course for peaceful purposes and for the prosperity of the people” said Boediono.

The development of nuclear technology, said the vice president, must be agreed upon through a political decision as well as by the people. “However, the intention to develop nuclear technology must start from now”, said the president, who was accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Marty M. Natalegawa.

However, when pressed on when the Muria nuclear power plant in Jepara, Central Java, would operate, the vice president was reluctant to answer. “As to when and where, later we wull decide together. It’s better that I don’t talk in detail now”, he said. ]

Nuclear Power Plant Construction not Yet Decided, Heru CN, Tempo Interactive, 2010-04-23

The Indonesian government has not decided when to start building nuclear power plants. However, the National Energy Council still prepares it. “We are very ready. But, we don’t know when the implementation is. It is a matter of policy. If it is decided, we are ready,” said the Minister of Research and Technology Suharna Surapranata after the “Nuclear Safety Strategy Dialogue” in Yogyakarta yesterday. According to Suharna, based on State Degree no 37/2005, the use of nuclear power as electrical energy in Indonesia will occur from 2015 until 2050. At that time, he said around 17 of electrical need in Indonesia will be provided by nuclear power plants.

Presiden Terbitkan Inpres Tentang Sosialisasi PLTN [President issues presidential instruction about NPP socialisation], Antara, 23 Maret 2010

Presiden mengeluarkan Inpres No 1 tahun 2010 yang mengharuskan Kementerian Riset dan Teknologi (KRT) dan Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional (BATAN) melakukan sosialisasi tentang Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) kepada masyarakat. “Inpres ini mengharapkan masyarakat semakin bisa menerima rencana pembangunan PLTN,” kata Kepala BATAN Dr Hudi Hastowo di sela Seminar “Prospects of Nuclear Electric Power in Indonesia”, di Jakarta, Kamis. Sayangnya, Inpres tersebut tidak dibarengi dengan alokasi anggaran dalam APBN KRT yang rancangannya sudah terlanjur diajukan tahun lalu.??Pihaknya, ujar dia, juga masih mengharapkan keluarnya peraturan lainnya yakni Perpres tentang organisasi yang akan mengelola PLTN. Dengan peraturan ini maka pembangunan PLTN sudah bisa dilakukan. Rancangan Perpres ini sudah menunggu sekitar 2-3 tahun untuk ditandatangani Presiden. Dengan dasar UU no 17/2007 tentang Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah (RPJM), menurut Hudi, seluruh persiapan pembangunan PLTN sudah dilakukan, dari mulai riset tentang tapak PLTN, pendidikan dan pelatihan sumber daya manusianya, kesiapan teknologinya, rancangan peraturan hingga pembiayaannya. “Jepang sudah menawari bantuan pinjaman hingga dua miliar dolar AS,” katanya. Presiden RI masih mengkhawatirkan penerimaan masyarakat terhadap PLTN khususnya kemampuan SDM dan teknologi.

 

 

‘SBY still reluctant’ on nuclear plans despite UN approval, Lilian Budianto, Jakarta Post, 11 February 2010

Hudi Hastowo, chairman of the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan), said Wednesday that Jakarta had been given an endorsement last year by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to develop nuclear power, but it had not been followed up with a plan of action, despite proposals of cooperation from major nuclear states.Hudi said that Indonesia had established cooperation with the US over nuclear power for peaceful use that would expire in 2030. “We have also sought cooperation with Russia and South Korea, but that has not been ratified by the President,” he said. Beside environmental concerns, observers have said that Jakarta might be reluctant to develop nuclear power through cooperation with other nuclear states because it does not want to trigger geopolitical concerns from other countries.

Indonesia will not develop nuclear power anytime soon: Minister, Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post,  5 February 2010

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh said the government had yet to consider developing nuclear energy for electricity generation.??”We will exploit other available energy sources first,” Darwin told reporters Friday.?? He added that the government would remain open to study the development of any alternative energy, including nuclear energy.

Program Proteksi Radiasi dan Keamanan Sumber Radioaktif [Radiation Protection Program and Security of Radioactive Materials], Kementerian Negara Riset dan Teknologi [State Ministry of Research and Technology], 2009-12-03

Sesuai dengan Amanat Undang-Undang No. 10 Tahun 1997 tentang Ketenaganukliran, menitik beratkan pada penataan dan pengaturan pemanfaatan tenaga nuklir di Indonesia. Salah satu bentuk tersebut adalah pengawasan pemanfaatan tenaga nuklir di Indonesia yang memiliki tiga prinsip dasar yaitu Security, Safety dan Seifgard. Peran pengawasan tersebut menjadi sangat penting mengingat tenaga nuklir yan pada dekade ini memiliki perkembangan yang sangat tinggi, sebagai dampak dari pemenuhan kebutuhan dan tuntutan masyarakat dalam memecahkan persoalan kehidupan sehari-hari.

Oleh karena itu, dalam kerangka sukses terhadap sistem pengawasan dilakukanlah pertemuan eksekutif pada pengguna, agar terdapat kesepahaman dalam kaidah-kaidah pengawasan tenaga nuklir di Indonesia. Pada kesempatan ini Badan Pengawas Tenaga Nuklir (Bapeten) menyelenggarakan Executive Meeting bidang kesehatan yang bertema ‘Program Proteksi Radiasi dan Keamanan Sumber Radioaktif” yang dilaksanakan pada Kamis, 3 Desember 2009 bertempat di Badan Pengawas Tenaga Nuklir, Jl. Gajah Mada No. 8, Jakarta Pusat.

Bapeten sangat menyadari bahwa sukses pengawasan tidak hanya terletak pada Bapeten, namun perlu pula dukungan oleh para pengguna dan pemanfaat ketenaganukliran. Dengan demikian tujuan dari para eksekutif dimaksud dalam hal ini adalah jajaran pengambil kebijakan di lingkungan pengguna dan pemanfaat tenaga nuklir di Indonesia khususnya bidang kesehatan, baik dari unsur pemerintah maupun swasta.  Dengan adanya kesepahaman bersama dalam proteksi radiasi dan  sumber radiokatif maka diharapkan kedepan pengguna dan pemanfaat tenaga nuklir untuk dapat berpartisipatif dan ikut serta mewujudkan pengawasan ketenaga nuklir di Indonesia.

“Teknologi nuklir adalah teknologi yang erat keterkaitannya dengan politik, terutama yang berhubungan dengan bahan-bahan nuklir. Padahal, pemanfaatan iptek nuklir tidak hanya terbatas dalam bidang reaktor nuklir saja, namun juga melingkupi pemanfaatannya dalam bidang kesehatan, bidang industri, bidang pertanian dan peternakan, serta bidang pendidikan. Untuk itu guna mendukung kesejahteraan masyarakat Indonesia, pemanfaatan iptek nuklir harus senantiasa ditingkatkan. Namun demikian, bilamana pemanfaatannya diluar kaidah-kaidah keselamatan sebagaimana digariskan oleh IAEA (Internasional Atomic Energy Agency) maka dampak negatif akan membanyangi keselamatan pekerja, masyarakat, dan lingkungan hidup. Untuk itu fungsi pengawasan terhadap pemanfaatan tenaga nuklir haruslah dijalankan”. Ujar, Menteri Negara Riset dan Teknologi, Suharna Surapranata dalam pembukaan Executive Meeting.

Kepala Bapeten, As Natio Lasman mengatakan, bahwa dalam bidang industri dan kesehatan, perhatian utama pada proteksi  perlu senantiasa dan terus diperhatikan. Pada PP Nomor 33 Tahun 2007 tentang keselamatan radiasi pengion dan keamanan sumber radioaktif ada beberapa hal yang perlu diperhatikan, yakni tentang perlunya tester, sehingga peralatan-peralatan radiasi yang digunakan tersebut bersertifikat, dan juga tentang perlu keberadaan qualified expert oleh Pemerintah dipandang perlu diselenggarakan  mulai tahun 2012 nanti.

Dalam acara ini dihadiri pula oleh Sekretaris Utama Bapeten, Wawan Suwanda  Djajasudarma; Deputi Perizinan dan Inspeksi, Martua Sinaga, Kepala Biro Hukum dan Organisasi, Heddy Krishyana beserta para Pejabat Eselon dilingkungan Bapeten. (humasristek)

Analysis

2010

West Kalimantan Mulls Nuclear Power To Generate Electricity, Nashir Mansor, Barnama, 28 January 2010

West Kalimantan has ample uranium reserves which can be enriched to produce electricity, Deputy Governor Drs Christiandy Sanjaya says. He said this possibility was prompted by the electricity crisis faced not only by West Kalimantan but all four provinces in the Indonesian portion of Borneo. The use of nuclear energy in electricity generation was cheaper compared with other methods and since Kalimantan was situated outside earthquake zones, it would be suitable, he said.

2009

Pemerintah Belum Setuju Pembangunan PLTN

[The government has not yet decided on the development of NPP], Jurnal Nasional, 2009-12-22

The State Minister for Research and Technology Suharna Surapranata said the government has not yet agreed to the development of the nuclear generator of power electricity, as NPP  planning was still being limited by debate. He said priority is still to be given to  the utilisation of coal energy and geothermal. He admitted that at the moment the government was still continuing to carry out the socialisation on the basis of tghat by 2016 Indonesia must be operating a nuclear power station commercially.

PLTN di Indonesia Kian Mendesak [NPP in Indonesia increasingly urged], Pos Kota, 2009-12-05

Kepala Badan Pengawas Tenaga Nuklir (BAPETEN) As Natio Lasman, mengungkapkan pembangunan pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir (PLTN) di Indonesia sudah semakin mendesak. Pasalnya, selain tuntutan pasokan listrik yang cukup sumber energi fosil seperti minyak dan batubara juga semakin langka.
“Mulai tahun 2010 kami akan mulai melakukan sosialisasi pemanfaatan energi nuklir secara lebih intensif,” katanya di sela-sela Executive Meeting Bidang Kesehatan dengan tema “Program Proteksi Radiasi dan Keamanan Sumber Radioaktif” yang dibuka Menristek Suharna Surapranata, Kamis.
Untuk menghasilkan energi pembangkit listrik, kebutuhan bahan bakar fosil sangat besar. Tahun 2009 saja dibutuhkan sekitar 26 juta ton batu bara.
Jika menggunakan energi nuklir bahan yang dibutuhkan tidak terlalu besar. Sebab untuk menghasilkan energi setara 3.000 ton batu bara hanya dibutuhkan 1 kg uranium.
Negara tetangga seperti Vietnam dan Malaysia rencananya sudah akan menggunakan PLTN pada tahun 2016 dan 2017. Sementara di Indonesia sampai saat ini masih banyak pro dan kontra soal pembangunan PLTN. Penggunaan energi listrik untuk bidang kesehatan dan industri di Indoesia sebenarnya sudah cukup lama. Namun untuk bidang perlistrikan masih ada sejumlah pihak yang mengaku khawatir.
Padahal risiko pembangunan PLTN sebenarnya tidaklah seperti yang dibayangkan selama ini. Umumnya jika berbicara tenaga nuklir orang akan langsung terbayang pada bom Hirosima dan Nagasaki. “Jika mulai menggunakan PLTN diharapkan kedepan kita tidak akan ada lagi mendengar keluhan kekurangan pasokan listrik atau pasokan listrik secara bergantian.”

Menristek: PLTN Muria Tetap Berlanjut, Antara, 2009-12-03

Menteri Negara Riset dan Teknologi Suharna Surapranata menegaskan, bahwa kebijakan tentang rencana pembangunan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) tidak akan dihentikan dan tetap dilanjutkan. “Rencana PLTN harus tetap ada. Persiapan `blue print`-nya masih terus dilakukan,” katanya di sela “Executive Meeting” Badan Pengawas Tenaga Nuklir (Bapeten) dan Pemegang Izin tentang Program Proteksi Radiasi dan Kamanan Sumber Radioaktif di Jakarta, Kamis. Menurut dia, saat ini pemerintah masih harus memilih siapa yang akan menjadi pengelola PLTN yang rencananya akan dibangun di Semenanjung Muria, Jepara, Jawa Tengah, apakah, pemerintah (BUMN) ataukah swasta. “PLTN memerlukan investasi,” kata mantan peneliti di Badan Tenaga Atom Nasional (BATAN) itu.

Govt not to shelve nuke power plant project, Antara, 2009-12-03

Research and Technology Minister Suharna Surapranata said the government would not shelve its plan to build a nuclear power plant (PLTN) in the country.??”The plan to build a nuclear power plant should not be terminated. The government is still preparing its blue print,” the minister said on the sidelines of an executive meeting of the Nuclear Power Supervisory Board (Bapeten) here on Thursday.?? Suharna said that the government had not decided who would become the operator of the nuclear power plant which according to plan would be built in Muria Peninsula, Central Java.?? “The construction of a PLTN facility needs a large investment,” the former researcher at the National Atomic and Energy Agency (BATAN), said. He said the option for the operator of the plant was the government (a state-owned company) or a private firm.

In the meantime, Bapeten head Natio Lasman denied if it was said that the delay in the construction of the nuke plant had been caused by the lack of investment funds because a nuclear plant with a capacity of 1,000 MW only needed Rp20 trillion. He said that this amount was not far from the amount of fuel oil subsidy allocation which accounted for only tens of trillion rupiah.(*)

Nuclear program on horizon: Government, Jakarta Post, 2009-12-03

Despite previous protests and controversy, the Indonesian government has recently renewed plans to build Indonesia’s first nuclear power plant in Muria Peninsula, Central Java.??State Research and Technology Minister Suharna Surapranata, who has been serving in the new Cabinet for less than two months, said here Thursday that blueprints for the plant were in progress.?? “The plan to build the nuclear power plant must go on,” Suharna said as quoted by Antara, on the sidelines of a meeting with the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten).?? Among aspects still under consideration, Suharna said, included who would operate the plant once established — whether it would be the government or a private firm.?? As for the location, the government seems to have stuck to the previous plan of building the plant in the Muria Peninsula in Jepara, Central Java.?? As part of the process, the government is currently training and educating staff at Bapeten and the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan), who are expected to run the power plant once it opens in 2016, Suharna said.??The construction of the plant is scheduled to begin next year.

Muladi Suggests Building Power Plant in Kalimantan, Danang Wibowo, Tempo Interactive, 2009-12-03

National Defense Institute (Lemhanas) governor, Muladi, suggested that the construction of a nuclear power plant should be centered in Kalimantan because earthquakes rarely strike on this island. Meanwhile, he said, the management should be handed to the French, adding that nuclear energy was one suitable alternative for Indonesia.???“Nuclear energy must be developed. Around 80 percent of France’s energy is nuclear-powered,” Muladi said following a seminar titled ‘Energy Policies to Support National Economy for National Defense’ at the Lemhanas building yesterday.??? Muladi also called on the media to disseminate this issue objectively. So far, people think that nuclear will bring negative impact. “Write about positive nuclear activities conducted overseas and publicize this,” he said.

Batan Usulkan PLTN Opsi Prioritas [BATAN proposes NPP as priority option], Antara, 2009-11-25

Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional (Batan) masih mengusulkan bahwa Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) dijadikan opsi prioritas untuk memenuhi kebutuhan energi listrik jangka panjang di Indonesia. “Dari sisi suplai energi yang aman dan keberlanjutan kebutuhan energi jangka panjang, maka PLTN tetap dibutuhkan,” kata Batan Hudi Hastowo ketika kunjungan kerja bersama rombongan Menteri Riset dan Teknologi (Menristek) RI Suharna Surapranata di Blora, Rabu. Selain itu, kata dia, kebutuhan energi listrik pada masa akan datang juga semakin besar.

“Misal, dalam kabinet bersatu dua ini menargetkan tambahan energi setiap tahun 3.000 mega watt (MW). Bisa dibayangkan dalam 10 tahun kebutuhan energinya menjadi dua kali lipat dari kebutuhan sekarang,” ujarnya. Meski demikian, kata dia, pemerintah akan mengembangkan semua sumber energi baru dan terbarukan, seperti geotermal dan sebagainya. “Tetapi, pengembangan sejumlah sumber energi tersebut tidak akan mampu memenuhi kebutuhan energi di masyarakat. Sehingga, energi nuklir tetap menjadi opsi,” ujarnya.

Untuk mendukung rencana pembangunan PLTN tersebut, katanya, pemerintah telah mengambil sejumlah tahapan, di antaranya menyiapkan berbagai tapak yang dimungkinkan bisa dijadikan opsi untuk pembangunan. “Orientasi kami tidak hanya di Semenanjung Muria, tetapi akan dicari opsi yang lain jika penerimaan masyarakat setempat memang sulit,” ujarnya. Menurut dia, penyiapan tapak di beberapa daerah bukan sebagai pengganti di Semenanjung Muria.

DEN Segera Susun Pengembangan PLTN [National Energy Council to immediately assess nuclear power], Suara Pembaruan, 2009-11-24

Commission VII of the People’s Representative Council has urged the National Energy Council (DEN) to ensure that nuclear power is developed in line with the strategy to utilise various potential sources of energy, in order to establish national energy resilience in accord with Law 17/2007 Concerning National Long-Term Development Plan 2005-2025 [UU No 17 Tahun 2007 tentang Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Panjang Nasional Tahun]. The executive director of the National Energy Council, Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Darwin Zahedy Saleh, said that DEN will immediately compile a recommendation on a nuclear power plant, dealing with both strengths and weaknesses. “There was a feeling in the DPR that we should not be frightened of building a nuclear power plant. We will consider nuclear development without ignoring concerns. In December there will be a meeting of ministers involved, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as chair of the National Energy Council” he said.

Council member Rinaldi Dalimin said government measures already underway to increase power by 2 x 10,000 MW as well as IPPs (independent power producers) will be sufficient until 2025, and the Council plans nuclear power after 2025. “The National Atomic Energy Agency has stated that the country is not ready to start nuclear power now”, he said.

The director general of Electricity and Energy Utilisation, J Purwono, said that the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources has carried out economic and technology simulation studies of electricity requirements. But it has not yet assessed community opinion. “A majority in the community opposes, but it is a political decision. If the the decision of the DPR is to go ahead, say in 2018, then the funds to realise this must be provided”, he said. Purnomo said investors interested in building a  nuclear power plant included those from Japan, Korea the United States, Germany and Canada.

IAEA Selesai Evaluasi PLTN Indonesia 2010, Antara, 2009-10-15

[Partial translation] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to complete evaluation of nuclear power electricity generation in Indonesia in 2010. “The IAEA will carry out its evauation on November 5th”, said the head of the Nuclear Power Preparation in the Nuclear Energy Development Centre, Bambang Suprawoto in Pontianak, on Thursday. Basically the IAEA has already carried out an NPP evaluation for Indonesia, he said during a BATAN socialisation meeting. “Moreover, we carried out the NPP development openly, so there was nothing that was covered up,” he said. Bambang hoped NPP would became the solution to overcoming the electricity crisis in Indonesia because of the increasing price of world oil.”Since nuclear energy was used for only because of energy concerns, and not for any other interests”, there was no reason for the community to refuse.”

[In Jakarta, Minster for Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman] spoke of his experience in carrying out socialisation activities about the importance of the nuclear power plant in Jepara, Central Java, where he had “heard a whisper” from intelligence staff that his party would be flagged down by demonstrators. As the former Rector of ITB had had experience in facing demonstrators, he was sure he could deal with the demonstrators, and besides Special Detachment 88 [Detasemen Khusus (Densus) 88] intelligence officials accompanied him.]

Ed. note: Detaseman Khusus 88 is the Indonesian National Police [Polri] Anti-Terrorism Squad.

Masyarakat Diminta ‘Welcome’ Dengan Energi Nuklir, Kabar TVOne, 2009-08-04

Pemerintah berharap seluruh kalangan menerima dan mendukung rencana pembangunan pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir (PLTN) di Jepara, Jawa Tengah pada tahun 2010 untuk dioperasikan 2016.  “Tambahan energi di dalam negeri sudah sangat mendesak bukan saja untuk kebutuhan industri, dan menarik investasi, tapi juga masyarakat,” kata Deputi Menteri Negara Riset dan Teknologi, Prof.Dr.Ir Carunia Mulya Firdaus, MA, APU di Medan, Selasa. Menurut dia, Indonesia sudah jauh ketinggalan dalam penggunaan nuklir sebagai sumber energi dibandingkan negara lainnya.  Dia berbicara pada sarasehan tentang penambahan sumber energi dengan PLTN yang digelar di Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan (Balitbang) Provinsi Sumut yang dihadiri berbagai kalangan.

Bagi pemerintah Indonesia sendiri, yang paling penting adalah komitmen masyarakat secara nasional untuk menerima energi dari tenaga nuklir itu,” katanya yang didampingi Sekretaris Balitbang Sumut, Rita Lubis.  Untuk memperoleh komitmen nasional itu, kata dia, pemerintah terus melakukan sosialisasi dan sarasehan tentang apa dan bagaimana PLTN itu sehingga masyarakat benar-benar “welcome” menerima sumber energi baru itu sejak 2006.

Dia tidak bisa menyebutkan total investasi untuk pembangunan satu PLTN, kecuali menyebutkan bahwa investasi tahap awal (untuk teknologi) untuk satu PLTN itu berkisar Rp1,5 triliun.

“Lokasi PLTN di Semenanjung Muria, Jepara, Jateng itu berdasarkan kajian dinilai cukup tepat dan aman. Pemerintah sudah melakukan pengkajian dari berbagai aspek,” ujarnya.  Carunia menyebutkan, kalau proyek awal itu rampung, maka pada 2023 dan 2025 akan dibangun lagi dua PLTN lagi dengan kapasitas sama masing-masing 1.000 MW di lokasi yang sama yakni Jepara. “Dengan adanya empat unit PLTN itu dipastikan 95 persen daerah di seluruh Indonesia sudah akan teraliri listrik sehingga ekonomi masyarakat semakin membaik,” katanya.

Govt to Continue Nuke Power Plant: Minister, Kompas, 23 July 2009

The government will continue its plan to build a nuclear power plant in Indonesia, Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman said. He said that the target to operate commercially of a nuclear power plant was in line with Law No. 17 / 2007 on the Long Term National Development where one of its paragraph said that Indonesia should have operated a nuclear power plant in 2016.After all, the development of a nuclear power plant would need a long time to plan it, namely about eight years, beginning from deciding the location until the commercial operation. “If it is sped up,  the shortest time needed for the plan is six years,” the minister said.

News focus: Indonesia to operate nuke plant in 2016, Andi Abdussalam, Antara, 23 July 2009

Despite opposition from several quarters, the government is seemingly resolved to continue its plan to build a nuclear power plant as a cheap power supply resource for the people. “We are now popularizing the nuclear power development plan. We hope we would have already operated a nuclear power plant commercially in 2016,” Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman said on Thursday. The minister admitted that there was a social problem with the plan to develop a nuclear power reactor. The political aspect of the plan is the hardest part that had to be handled because it is different from a mathematical calculation. Besides, the minister said, the social issue should also be handled with wisdom, much more there was a strong resistance. “It is impossible for us to force our will. The government even should not force its will when there is strong resistance,” he said. “At least the government should listen to what the people were suggesting. If the plan to develop the nuclear plant in Jepara meets opposition, we have to find another location,” Kadiman said.

Government Shelves Nuclear Power Plan, Yuli Tri Suwarni, Jakarta Post, 16 June 2009

Amid mounting opposition from the public and NGOs, the state electricity firm PLN has temporarily shelved plans to set up a nuclear power plant. PLN director of planning and technology Bambang Praptomo said Monday that a nuclear-generated power plant was not included in his company’s Electricity Procurement Business Plans (RUPTL) outlined for up to 2018. The company’s procurement business plans were based on the National Electricity General Plans (RUKN), which the government recently put together, he added. In the previous RUKN, the government had aimed to start generating nuclear power by 2016. By 2025, 4 percent of the country’s total electricity supply was meant to be generated by nuclear power plants.

Bambang said the PLN would still keep human resources in the nuclear sector and continue cooperating with foreign agencies to develop the country’s nuclear capabilities. “Indonesia’s competency in the nuclear field has progressed. We are just waiting for the government [to make use of it], because the government has different considerations – be they political or economic,” Bambang said. He assured that Indonesia no longer experienced technical problems with nuclear power installations. He added that although the initial investment required to build nuclear power plants was significant, the cost of electricity generated from nuclear plants was very low. “Given that Indonesia has its own uranium resources, the price of electricity generated from nuclear plants will be cheaper,” he added. Renewable energy expert Martin Jamin from the State Ministry of Research and Technology also dismissed fears that nuclear power plants were not safe in Indonesia.

Pemerintah Kaji Kembali Pembangunan PLTN [Government undertakes new study on nuclear power], ANTARA, 16 April 2009

[Partial translation] The government is in the middle of undertaking a new study on the plan to build a 1000 megawatt nuclear power plant in Indonesia. “At the moment we are undertaking a study to understand at which which location the community will accept the construction of a nuclear power plant” said the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Purnomo Yusgiantoro.]

Minister Purnomo: Construction of Nuclear Power Plant Reconsidered, Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX, April 16 2009

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro during his visit to Pontianak, capital of West Kalimantan province, said he was currently considering the construction of a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 10,000 megawatts (MW) in Indonesia. “At present, we are still finding an area where the people are willing to accept the presence of a nuclear power plant,” the minister said after dedicating a theological high school here on Thursday.

Yudhoyono backs down on nuclear power plans, Tom Allard, SMH, 6 April 2009

Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, yesterday backed away from longstanding and highly controversial plans to build a nuclear reactor in one of the world’s most seismically active countries, saying it would instead develop existing energy sources and explore renewable alternatives before pursuing the nuclear option. Dr Yudhoyono made the comments in response to a question at a carefully stage-managed “town hall meeting” with voters in Central Java, where the proposed nuclear power plant was to be built. “In 10 years to come, or 20 years or 30 years to come, Indonesia must really develop its existing resources and these should be environmentally friendly,” he said, adding that water and wind power options would also be explored. “If there are still other alternatives, we will not take nuclear resources.”

SBY Janji Tak Bangun PLTN di Daerah yang Ditolak [SBY promises not to build nuclear power plant in areas with public opposition], K. Yudha Wirakusuma, Okezone, 5 April 2009

[The General Chairman of the Executive Council of the Democratic Party, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, promised that that there wil be no nuclear power developments in regions with strong opposition. “Nuclear development is impossible in areas with opposition”, he said in an interactive dialogue Democratic Party meeting of cadres and sympathisers in Magelang on Sunday. SBY maintained that the government will not take an arrogant attitude to nuclear power development.]

Ketua Umum Dewan Pembina Partai Demokrat Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono berjanji tidak akan membangun Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir di daerah yang ditolak oleh warga. “Tidak mungkin dibangun di daerah yang ditolak masyarakat,” ucapnya saat berdialog interaktif di depan ratusan kader dan simpatisan Partai Demokrat di Magelang, Minggu (5/4/2009). Lebih lanjut SBY berusaha meyakinkan bahwa pemerintahan tidak akan bersikap arogan untuk membangun sumber tenaga listrik tenaga nuklir. “Tenang kita tidak akan bangun begitu saja. Bagi Indonesia kalau ada cara lain akan diusahakan sumber energi nonnuklir,” terangnya. Menurutnya, energi adalah permasalahan yang pelik karena sumber daya alam seperti batu bara dan gas alam tidak dapat diperbaharui. “Kebutuhan listrik kita meningkat, jenis batu bara, minyak, dan gas lama-kelamaan akan habis dan tidak dapat diperbaharui,” pungkasnya.

[The Golkar Party is opposed to using nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels. “Now there are plenty [of people] who want to use nuclear, but there is also the not in my backyard philosophy, said Kalla. The result is that when the government talks about nuclear pwoer plant development, demonstrations pop up. Another factor leading Golkar to not accept the nuclear option is that Indonesian people are inclined to be careless. “It’s true our people are known to be a bit sloppy. For now, we don’t agree.”]

Partai Golkar tidak setuju penggunaan nuklir sebagai alternatif pengganti energi fosil. Ketua Umum Partai Golkar, jusuf Kalla mengatakan nuklir sebenarnya pengganti energi yang disukai sekaligus dihindari masyarakat. “Sekarang ini banyak yang mau menggunakan nuklir, tapi ada filosofi not in my back yard,” kata Kalla dalam dialog Golkar dengan Asosiasi Pengusaha Indonesia di Hotel Four Seasons, Jakarta, Senin 16 Februari 2009. Alhasil, ketika pemerintah merencanakan pembangunan pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir, demonstrasi pun bergulir. “Baru rencana dibuka lalu didemo,” kata Wakil Presiden itu. Faktor lain yang membuat Golkar tidak setuju penggunaan energi nuklir adalah orang Indonesia yang cenderung ceroboh. “Orang kita memang dikenal sedikit ceroboh,” kata Kalla. Dua hal itulah yang membuat Partai Golkar tidak setuju dengan pembangunan reaktor nuklir. “Tidak setuju untuk sekarang ini,” katanya.

2008

Energi Nuklir Harus Jadi Alternatif Pasokan Listrik, Kompas, 3 Juli 2008.

Di tengahnya kian melambungnya harga minyak dunia yang telah menembus angka 145 dollar AS per barel hari ini, penggunaan energi nuklir diyakini mampu menstabilkan pasokan energi listrik dengan lebih aman dan ekonomis. Porsi uranium sebagai bahan bakar sejauh ini baru mencapai 5 persen, sehingga secara ekonomis energi ini diyakini mampu menstabilkan harga listrik. “Dari semua jenis energi nuklir di dunia, porsi penggunaan uranium sebagai bahan bakar hanya 5 persen, ini yang belum kita maksimalkan untuk mengefektifkan penggunaan energi ini,” ujar Adi Wardoyo dari Badan Teknologi Atom Nasional (BATAN) dalam Seminar Nasional “Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) di Indonesia” di Gedung Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi (BPPT), Jakarta, Kamis (3/7).

Selain itu, dikatakannya, kenaikan harga uranium sampai enam kali lipat masih tidak akan mengubah Tarif Dasar Listrik (TDL) atau menaikkan harga listrik. “Negara-negara lain sudah mengalami seperti Jepang dan Korea Selatan. Maka tinggal Indonesia, program pembangunan PLTN akan memberi peluang bagi industri nasional lebih maju,” tuturnya.

Dicari Lokasi Lain untuk PLTN, [A new location is sought for nuclear power plant], Kompas, 18 April 2008

[The national atomic energy agency (BATAN) is this ear in the middle of undertaking a new study on several locations around Muria Peninsula, Japara, for the construction of a nuclear power plant.The head of BATAN Hudi Hastowo said those undertaking the study cannot yet state the name of the locations because all the areas which are being surveyed have given permission for the study.He said the location is still in the northern coastak region of the island of Java].

Considering the suggestion to build a nuclear power plant outside Java, Hudi said, economically, it would raise the cost of electricity because there would be the additional cost of transmission.

Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional tahun ini tengah mengkaji beberapa tempat di luar Semenanjung Muria, Jepara, untuk lokasi pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir.

Kepala Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional Hudi Hastowo mengatakan, pihaknya saat ini belum bisa menyebutkan nama lokasi-lokasi itu karena belum semua daerah yang akan disurvei memberikan izin untuk itu. Ia mengatakan, lokasi tersebut masih di sekitar pantai utara Pulau Jawa.

Menanggapi usulan pembangunan PLTN di luar Jawa, Hudi mengatakan, secara ekonomis, pembangunan PLTN di luar Pulau Jawa akan meningkatkan harga listrik karena ada tambahan komponen ongkos transmisi.

RI to build four nuclear power plants until 2025, Antara, 12 March 2008.

The Indonesian government is planning to build four nuclear power plants (PLTNs) until 2025 to meet domestic demand for electricity, Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman said here Wednesday. A number of locations where the nuclear power plants could be set up had already been surveyed, including places in the northern parts of Java Island and in the southern parts of Kalimantan island, he said. Construction of the Muria PLTN in Jepara, Central Java, was expected to be finalised in 2016 and therefore work on the project had to begin in 2008, Kusmayanto said. About the existence of popular resistance to the government plans to build nuclear power plants, the minister said people were free to express their opinion on the matter but the government`s plans could only be stopped if the law providing for the development of nuclear power was changed. Meanwhile, the government would continue to prepare the technology, funding and human resources needed to build and operate nuclear power plants, he said.

See also

• Contemporary alternative site proposals
• Muria nuclear power proposal site map

Project coordinator: Richard Tanter
Additional research: Arabella Imhoff
Updated: 1 December 2010