Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (Antara) - Head of the G.A Swabessy Multipurpose Rector Center of the National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) Alim Tarigan said basically Indonesia is now ready both in human and natural resources to utilize nuclear energy . The G.A. Swabessy Multipurpose Reactor Center was built in Serpong, South Tangerang, for research and tests of materials and radio isotope product, Tarigan said. He said a gram of uranium , the material used to generate nuclear energy, is equivalent to 2 tons of coal in energy. Therefore, nuclear energy provides a good opportunity to cope with energy crisis which often hits South Kalimantan which is rich in coal reserves, he told a visiting group of journalists from South Kalimantan. "Unfortunately , many people could not yet agree with the utilization of nuclear energy on negative issues about nuclear," he said. "I very much hope that the people would not easily believe such issue that nuclear energy is highly dangerous," he said. He asked the mass media to help reduce negative issues about nuclear energy by promoting and giving greater emphasis on the positive side of nuclear energy. "Nuclear is not as dangerous as many imagine," he said. Radiation in Japan came from damaged nuclear reactor because of tsunami, he said, adding with advancing technology the danger has been minimized. He said the multipurpose reactor in Serpong, commissioned in 1987, is still in good condition until now. "The 26-year old reactor with good maintenance could operate well for the next 20 years," he said. He said Indonesia has enough skilled and trained human resources to manage nuclear power plants. Currently, there are 3,000 technicians with various educational backgrounds to guarantee that Indonesia could operate and manage nuclear energy . "We have long been engaged in nuclear energy management," he said last weekend. (*)

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