Nuclear power plant not a priority for Indonesia: Purnomo

Nuclear-powered power plant is not yet a priority in Indonesia as the country has abundant of other energy sources, especially geothermal, to supply energy to power plants, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said.

Purnomo explained that Indonesia had conducted feasibility study to build a nuclear power plant in Mount Muria area in Central Java, and the results show that it is feasible and possible to build nuclear power plant in the area.

But the minister noted that Indonesia was actually not ready yet to have a nuclear power plant, mainly because of human resources problem. "The readiness in human resources is very necessary in building a nuclear power plant because if there is a mistake, even small, it will create a great negative impact. Thus, we must be very careful in this matter."

Purnomo noted that Indonesia had other energy sources that are much safer than nuclear, namely geothermal, which is abundant in Indonesia.

"As an alternative energy source, nuclear power plant is all rights. But for now, we still prioritize the use of energy sources that are safe and environment friendly, like geothermal. Our geothermal potencies are so great, accounting for about 30 percent of the global geothermal energy sources," Purnomo said.

Indonesia currently has a number of geothermal-powered power plants, including those in Gunung Salak, and Derajad. Currently, state electricity company PT Perusahan Listrik Negara (PLN) is negotiating with a number of private investors to build more geothermal-powered power plants, including those in Bedugul, Cibuni, Sibayak, Sarulla, Dieng, and Patuna.

Electricity produced from geothermal-powered power plant is still a bit expensive, selling at 4.3 US cents per kilowatt per hour (kWh), compared to PLN's electricity selling prices of 2 to 3 US cents per kWh. (*)