BATAN set to start construction of nuclear reactor

The National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) has signed a contract with a consortium called RENUKO for the latter to produce the early engineering design document of a planned experimental nuclear reactor.

The RENUKO consortium comprises of three companies including PT Rekayasa Engineering, PT Kogas Driyap Konsultan and Nukem Technologies GmbH, the agency said in a statement last week. The latter company is a subsidiary of Russia?s Rosatom.

BATAN Head Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto said that the early engineering design document would be used as a basis for the agency to promote the planned reactor to be built in Serpong, Bantan.

He said that the reactor is designed to produce electricity, which hopefully could become a solution for the country?s huge future electricity needs.

The planned nuclear reactor will be of the type High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR), that would have a capacity to produce MW of electricity, he added.

The engineering design document is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak