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.
In the year 2015, the Government has issued a white book which contains the plans of the Energy Development Policy until 2050. In this book nuclear energy is again considered as an electrical energy source which is expected to contribute a power of 5,000 MWe in the year 2024.
In facing the utilization of nuclear energy as a large scale electricity generation, BATAN will first develop a Non Commercial Power Reactor (RDNK) or also called the Experimental Power Reactor (RDE).
“RDE is a strategy of the government to introduce the nuclear reactor which produces electricity and at the same time could be used for experiment/research. The RDE selected is the 4th generation which possesses higher safety technology than the previous generations. RDE is a miniature NPP which in the future could be applied to regions which do not need a large power, especially in the Central and Eastern parts of Indonesia. Besides that, to produce electricity, eventually this type of reactor could be utilized for desalination process (changing sea water into fresh water), production of hydrogen and coal liquidation process”, explained the Head of BATAN, Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto.
The plan in development of RDNK/RDE has been planned by BATAN in the year 2015. It is expected that RDNK/RDE could be operated in the year 2019 before the end of Renstra 2015-2019. The stipulation in the development of RNDK/RDE has gone through a series of discussions at the ministerial level, which are the Minister of Research and technology in Higher Education, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Minister for the National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, Head of BAPETEN and Head of BATAN.
The objective in development of RDNK/RDE is to build a small size nuclear reactor which could be used as a means to master the technology of the Indonesian children in development management, operation and maintenance of nuclear reactor for electricity generation. The RDNK/RDE also shall be used as a means for demonstrating technology and education to all stakeholders that NPP is safe, environmental friendly and economical as an electricity generator.
Various preparations have been conducted among them the forming of a Preparation Team for Development of the RDNK/RDE, which the duty is to conduct technical assessment regarding the feasibility of the site (candidate location), preparation of the technical requirement document for the licensing and to give explanations to the people especially around the candidate site. Several countries are attracted to become partners of Indonesia to contribute in the development of the RDNK/RDE, among others Japan, China, South Africa and Russia.
Other preparations conducted are to conduct assessments from the aspects of laws and regulations to see how far is the authority of BATAN in developing the RDNK/RDE. The assessment of the aspect of law and regulations have been completed at the end of 2014 and gave a conclusion that BATAN possesses the authority to develop and operate the RDNK/RDE in accordance to Law Number 10 Year 1997 regarding Nuclear Energy and Government Regulation Number 2 Year 2014 regarding the License of Nuclear Installation and Utilization of Nuclear Materials.
Head of the Bureau for Law, Public Relations and Cooperation
Totti Tjiptosumirat