The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) considers that Indonesia is ready to have nuclear power plants as new energy source, an official said in an interview on Monday.
Responding to Xinhua’s questions, Head of the National Atomic Agency (BATAN) Hudi Hastowo said that Indonesia has been preparing to have the power plants for a long time.
“And, the IAEA considers that we are ready. But why we haven’t started yet?” he said, with such preparation, Indonesia only needs a decision from the president on the project.
According to Hudi, Indonesia already has 19 items that are almost ready.
He said 12 items that are considered ready, among others, are nuclear safety, safeguard, surveillance framework, radiation protection, power network, human resource development, environment protection, emergency mitigation plan, security and physical protection.
Meanwhile, four items that need sustainability are funding option, shareholders’ involvement, supporting facilities and industrial involvement.
“What we are not ready are establishment of the second National Team for coordination, monitoring and evaluation; and establishment of the second National Team for determining ownership or operators,” said Hudi.
He said that Indonesia has huge uranium reserves to support the power plants.
“Overall, we have uranium resources of 59,000 tons uranium oxide (UO), consisting of hypothetic category to indicated category in West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan provinces,” said Hudi.
According to Hudi, the biggest reserves are in Papua Island that had yet to be explored.
He said the agency has been exploring several locations for the projects namely Bangka Belitung province, Banten province and East Kalimantan province.
Hudi said that investment for the project is influenced by several points, namely local content, location condition that includes tremor factor and geological condition, and government’s subsidy, among others.
“According to the Nuclear Technology Review 2009 by the IAEA, the overnight cost to build a nuclear power plant in Asia ranges from 1,300 U.S. dollars/kilowatt electric to 3,700 dollars/ kilowatt electric, depending on location,” he said.
On the other side, he said, Malaysia, Vietnam and Union of Arab Emirate have followed Indonesia with the project whereas they have less preparation.
“They have courage, management and capital,” said Hudi.
He said that the countries composed programs by hiring outsiders.
“For example, former IAEA’s Director General Hans Blix from Sweden was recruited by UAE to lead the project”s steering committee in the country. Meanwhile a former director of the United States of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) was chosen to chair UAE’s Nuclear Surveillance Agency,” he said.
