RI to have nuclear power plant in 2050

With the ongoing preparation, Indonesia will likely be able to operate a nuclear power plant by 2050, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Rudi Rubiandini has said as quoted by Investor Daily.

Rudi said that the nuclear energy will be the solution to meet the future need of the country?s electricity. ?Based on the current preparation, we hope Indonesia can begin to benefit from the nuclear energy by 2050,? he added.

At present, Indonesia has two nuclear power plants for research purposes. The national nuclear energy board Batan operates a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 60 megawatt in Bandung and another one with a capacity of 2 MW in Serpong, he added.

He acknowledged that it would not be easy to develop a nuclear power plant in Indonesia, because like in other countries, such a project will receive opposition from the people particularly from non-government organizations.

?The most feasible location for a nuclear power plant is in Kalimantan, which has supporting energy resource. The local governments also support the plan,? he said.(*)