Govt to give nuclear project to private sector

The government would entrust the building of the planned nuclear power plant in Muria, Central Java to independent power producer in order to prevent pressure from the international communities opposing nuclear enrichment program.

Director General of Electricity and Energy Exploitation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources J Purwono said in Jakarta that the building of the nuclear power plant would not be delayed or discontinued despite the recent move by the United Nations (UN) to condemn Iranian nuclear enrichment program. The UN move came despite Iran?s insistence that its nuclear program was a power plant program.

?The nuclear program in Indonesia is designated to peace and prosperity so that it would go ahead. Principally, we seek internationally believable cooperation schemes, such as (cooperation with) IPP,? said Purwono on the sidelines of a seminar titled ?Indonuclear 2007? in Jakarta on Monday.

On the same occasion, Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that the government would set up a nuclear team to prepare and supervise the nuclear power plant development program in Indonesia. ?As long as it is used for peace, the Indonesia government would approve,? he said.

Previously, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) MS Hidayat said that three would-be investors from France, Japan and South Korea had voiced interest to provide funds and technology for the US$6 billion power plant project that will have a capacity of 4 x 1,000 MW. ?The three prospective investors had expressed their interest to Kadin,? he went on (godang)