(Jakarta, 10/01/17). Jumlah dukungan masyarakat terhadap pembangunan pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir (PLTN) naik dibandingkan tahun 2015. Hasil ini terungkap dari hasil survei secara nasional yang dilakukan oleh PT. Pro Ultima antara bulan Oktober - Desember 2016 yang menunjukkan tingkat penerimaan sebesar 77,53%. Survei dilakukan dengan melakukan penyebaran kuesioner terhadap 4.000 responden dari 34 Provinsi di Indonesia.
(Jakarta, 03/01/17). Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir (PLTN) selain menggunakan uranium sebagai komponen bahan bakar juga dapat menggunakan thorium. Di Indonesia, wacana PLTN berbahan bakar thorium yang sering dijuluki PLTT telah ramai diperbincangkan sebagai energi alternatif.
Pada dasarnya, thorium berbeda dengan uranium. Thorium adalah bahan bakar nuklir yang tidak bisa langsung beraksi nuklir seperti halnya uranium. Thorium hanya bisa bereaksi nuklir jika dipicu dengan bahan bakar nuklir lain, seperti uranium-235, plutonium-239, dan uranium-233. Ketiga bahan nuklir tersebut merupakan bahan fisil (dapat membelah) yang apabila bereaksi dengan neutron akan mengalami reaksi fisi (membelah) dan menghasilkan unsur sebagai produk fisi, neutron, dan panas. Panas yang dihasilkan digunakan untuk membangkitkan listrik, sedangkan neutron digunakan untuk bereaksi dengan thorium menjadi bahan fisil U-233. Karena itu, penggunaan thorium sebagai bahan bakar tidak dapat berdiri sendiri, harus dikombinasikan dengan bahan fisil.
Press Release Number : B- 2397/BATAN/HHK/HM 01/03/2015
In realizing the independency in the field of energy in accordance to the program “Nawacita Jokowi”, the government has planned to develop an electricity generation with a capacity of 35,000 MWe during the period of 2015-2019. Various types of energy sources will be exerted to realize this wish.
In accordance to the Regulation of the President Number 5 Year 2006 Regarding the National Energy Policy (KEN) before being changed by Regulation of the President Number 79 Year 2014 regarding KEN, nuclear is still entered into the new and renewable energy (EBT) group which shall be used for electricity generation. The amount of contribution from nuclear energy is expected to reach 5% of the 100,000 MWe which is projected to be provided until the year 2025. With the Regulation of the President in all the contribution of EBT is about 17% which covers solar energy, hydro, geothermal, biodiesel and nuclear. However in Regulation of the President Number 79 Year 2014 it is stated that nuclear energy is entered as an alternative of other energies. This could mean that nuclear energy has not yet entered the development priority until 2019. This could be understood considering that the preparation in development of nuclear power plants will take a considerable amount of time.
Press Release Number : B- 1208/BATAN/HHK/HM 01/02/2015
The utilization of gamma radiation and electron beam (one of the sections from nuclear techniques) in the field of agriculture continues to increase in the last decade. One of the applications is modification of polymer material to produce a product which is of benefit and has high economic value. Shrimp scale is a natural material which could be processed to become oligochitosan by irradiating the material using gamma radiation therefore producing a product which is beneficial in the field of agriculture, among others as a promoter material and fertilizer.
“The benefit of oligochitosan among others could increase the growth of plants (growth promoter), prevent and reduce plant disease caused by fungus, bacteria and virus, increase immunity of plants towards diseases, and increase productivity/results of plants”, said the Head of the Center for Application of Isotope and Radiation (PAIR) BATAN, Hendig Winarno.
