RI may cooperate with foreign investors to build nuclear power plant

Indonesia may cooperate with four major industrialized countries including the United States, France, Japan and South Korea in the development of a nuclear power plant which will be built in the Muria peninsula, Jepara, Central Java, Antara news agency reported on Tuesday.

"We are still exploring the possibility to cooperate with the U.S, France, Japan, and South Korea in the development of the nuclear power plant," Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro was quoted as saying.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Monday, Purnomo said that Indonesia needed to cooperate with more experienced countries to ensure that the Muria nuclear power plant could begin commercial operation in 2015 as initially scheduled.

He said that as it would need at least six years to complete the construction of the planned nuclear power plant, its development should be started in 2009 so that it would be able to begin commercial operation in 2015 as targeted.

According to him, the nuclear power project which would occupy a 25-hectares area in Muria district, Jepara regecy, Central Java would have four power generating units with a capacity of 1,000 MW each.

The nuclear power plant which is expected to provide about four percent of the country's total power supply which is estimated to reach about 100 gigawatt by 2025. (*)