Indonesia shelves nuclear power plant

Amid mounting opposition from the public and NGOs, the state electricity firm PLN has temporarily shelved plans to set up a nuclear power plant.

PLN director of planning and technology Bambang Praptomo said Monday that a nuclear-generated power plant was not included in his company's Electricity Procurement Business Plans (RUPTL) outlined for up to 2018.

The company's procurement business plans were based on the National Electricity General Plans (RUKN), which the government recently put together, he added.

In the previous RUKN, the government had aimed to start generating nuclear power by 2016.

By 2025, 4 percent of the country's total electricity supply was meant to be generated by nuclear power plants.

The Soeharto administration had planned to build a massive nuclear power plant in Muria Bay, Central Java, to cope with the increasing power demand and declining reserves of primary energy.

But the public and NGOs strongly resisted the plans, as they had concerns about public safety and environmental hazards.

Bambang said the PLN would still keep human resources in the nuclear sector and continue cooperating with foreign agencies to develop the country's nuclear capabilities.

"Indonesia's competency in the nuclear field has progressed. We are just waiting for the government *to make use of it*, because the government has different considerations - be they political or economic," Bambang said.

He assured that Indonesia no longer experienced technical problems with nuclear power installations.

He added that although the initial investment required to build nuclear power plants was significant, the cost of electricity generated from nuclear plants was very low.

"Given that Indonesia has its own uranium resources, the price of electricity generated from nuclear plants will be cheaper," he added.

Renewable energy expert Martin Jamin from the State Ministry of Research and Technology also dismissed fears that nuclear power plants were not safe in Indonesia.

He said the shelters for nuclear plants were increasingly better and more environmentally friendly as the projects would not cause pollution.

Martin said his ministry was ready to implement the nuclear power plan in the future. "Before that, we should raise people's awareness about the plan because they are the most likely to be concerned."

Bambang further said the PLN was considering seeking alternative locations outside Muria Bay in Jepara regency to build nuclear power plants as a result of the public's opposition.

But Martin insisted the densily populated island of Java was the most appropriate location to develop a nuclear power plant.

"Aside from Muria, Kalimantan could be an alternative place for a nuclear plant. The problem is that the electricity consumption in Kalimantan is much less than Java's and Bali's," Martin added.