BATAN May Begin Construction of Nuclear Power Plant 2015

Jakarta (Antara) - The head of the National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), Djarot S. Wisnusubroto, has said he expects the construction of a nuclear power plant (PLTN) to begin by 2015. "It will be impossible for us to begin construction of a PLTN next year because of the legislative and presidential elections. Most likely, it will begin in 2015," Djarot said at the opening of a nanotechnology symposium in Serpong, Tangerang district, Banten, on Monday. He said the results of a feasibility study of two locations for the construction of a PLTN in Bangka Belitung, namely South Bangka Belitung and West Bangka Belitung, indicated that both the sites are suitable for the construction of a nuclear power plant. The result of the survey recommends the construction of about 10 plants with a total capacity of 10,000 MW in the two regions. "We have not decided where the plants will be constructed. The government will decide that," he added. He noted that more than 60 percent of the people surveyed supported the construction of a PLTN in the interest of generating the required power supply. Power outages are common in Indonesia. "BATAN has been successful in developing nuclear energy. Over the past 30 years, we have developed nuclear reactors in Serpong and maintained them safely," the BATAN head said. Djarot added that BATAN also planned to build a non-commercial PLTN reactor in the vicinity of the Technology and Science Research Center (Puspitek) in Serpong in 2015. That would prove nuclear energy generation is safe if managed appropriately. (*)