Indonesia to Develop Nuclear Energy as Part of Renewable Energy Mix

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif said that nuclear energy is part of the country’s renewable energy mix plan. He emphasized that nuclear power is not a last resort, but rather a viable option due to its availability and potential to accelerate progress towards the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

“Of course, there will be more technical studies. It must be technically reliable, safe, and cost-competitive,” Arifin said after a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VII at the Senayan Parliament Complex on Monday, July 8, 2024.

Nuclear power has been included in the Draft Law on New and Renewable Energy (NRE Bill). The ESDM Ministry’s Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Eniya Listiani Dewi, confirmed it is listed in Article 9. “It has been incorporated into the planning process,” she said.

Indonesia is currently collaborating with the United States to develop a Nuclear Power Plant or PLTN. A US$2.3 million or Rp34 billion grant agreement was secured to support program development.

Edi Prio Pambudi, Deputy for International Economic Cooperation Coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, revealed that one of the nuclear technologies under consideration is the small modular reactor (SMR). The development is slated for Pantai Gasong in West Kalimantan Province. 

“We need additional, reliable, and long-lasting energy sources,” he said at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Office on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

Edi said that the government has been studying the SMR technology for energy supply since 2023 given Indonesia’s growing number of smelters and industries with significant electricity demands, including the semiconductor industry.

Beyond the collaboration with the United States, the government is also exploring potential cooperation on nuclear power plants with South Korea, another nation with advanced SMR technology.

RIRI RAHAYU | ILONA ESTHERINA

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