JAKARTA, July 29 (Bernama) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) considers Indonesia ready to develop nuclear energy, reports Antara news agency quting a BATAN official as saying.
"The statement was issued last November 2009," said Dr Taswanda Taryo, deputy head in charge of research and development result empowerment unit of the National Nuclear Power Agency (BATAN), at the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS) here, Wednesday.
Dr. Taryo gave the information when speaking in a seminar on "Technology and Safety of Nuclear Power Project".
The IAEA's appraisal covered four readiness aspects, namely human resources, stakeholders, industry and regulations, he said.
Following the appraisal, Indonesia should enter the next concrete phase, namely the nuclear power project itself, he said.
"The Law No. 17/2007 has mandated the use of nuclear energy in Indonesia by 2015-2019, so at the latest we should have a nuclear power project by 2019," he said.
Therefore, BATAN has formed a BATAN Incorporation which involves stakeholders such as BATAN, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the Research and Technology Ministry, LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), state Power Utility (PLN), the Environmental Affairs Ministry, and the Industry Ministry.
They will decided the technicalities such as the industry as owner, technology, location, and licensing, he said.
The ownership will be established in 2011, but the form is not yet decided, whether it will be a state owned company or a totally private one.
"For sure, we have researched on the location since 1980an. The conclusion that it should be in the northern Javanese coastal area to avoid the Earth's plaque," he said.
BATAN has surveyed 70 locations, and selected into 14 locations, and now just four including Ujung Bumi (Jepara), Banten, and Bangka Belitung.
Prof Mukhtasor PhD, a member of the National Energy Council (DEN), said Indonesia will no longer have coal by 2020, while the increasing number of the country's population will need all kinds of energy from marine, solar, geothermal until nuclear.
-- BERNAMA
