PLN targets 7 GW of nuclear capacity by 2040 amid LNG supply constraints

By Calvin Purba

State electricity firm PT PLN (Persero) is targeting the development of up to 7 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2040 as part of its long term strategy to meet rising electricity demand and reduce reliance on imported liquefied natural gas.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said nuclear energy has emerged as a necessary option after modeling showed significant fuel requirements if new gas fired power plants are built using LNG.

According to PLN calculations, building 1 GW of gas fired power capacity requires around 22 LNG cargoes annually. With plans to add about 20 GW of gas power capacity by 2040, the country would need around 400 additional LNG cargoes.

“That means we would need to import LNG because those cargoes are not available domestically,” Darmawan said during a workshop on small modular reactor deployment in Jakarta on March 3.

Indonesia is expected to add around 96.5 GW of power generation capacity over the next decade, with about 76% of the additional capacity targeted to come from renewable energy sources.

Read also:  Indonesia steps up nuclear preparations with U.S., Japan support

However, Darmawan said renewable resources such as hydropower and wind often face geographic mismatches between resource locations and major electricity demand centers, complicating development.

To accommodate nuclear development, PLN plans to extend the validity of its Electricity Supply Business Plan, or RUPTL, from the current 2025 to 2034 period to 2040.

The existing RUPTL includes an initial 500 megawatts of nuclear capacity, but government modeling conducted jointly with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources suggests that nuclear capacity could be expanded to 7 GW by 2040.

PLN estimates that developing a nuclear power plant typically requires 10 to 13 years from design to commissioning, making a longer planning horizon necessary.

Darmawan said nuclear deployment would require clear national policies, institutional readiness and strong political support before projects can move forward.

Earlier planning documents identified potential nuclear sites in Sumatra and Kalimantan with initial capacities of 500 MW and 250 MW respectively.

In addition to generation capacity, PLN also plans to expand the national transmission network by about 48,000 kilometers of circuit length to support renewable power development. The transmission expansion is estimated to require investment of around Rp434 trillion ($25.68 billion).

Editing by Alexander Ginting