Government plans road map to develop nuclear energy

The government plans to set up a road map for nuclear energy development particularly to help meet future electricity demand in the country.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said in a statement that the first meeting to draft the road map was held on Friday participated among others by top officials from the ministry, National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), and the Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy.

The meeting was follow up of a June 22 meeting of the National Energy Council where President Joko Widodo said that the option of nuclear energy for power plant should remain open, and that a road map must be set up.

?In accordance with the law, we must start using nuclear energy for power plants,? said Director General of New and Renewable Energy Rida Mulyana in the statement.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said stated that the nuclear energy option forms part of efforts to help achieve the target for renewable energy to account for 23 percent of the country?s energy mix in 2025.

?It is time to end the polemics about nuclear power plant, and move on with more progressive steps. ?In line with the mandate of RUEN, which has been deliberated for over a year, it is time for us now to prepare road map to develop nuclear power plant,? Sudirman said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak