JAKARTA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) proposed Thursday the construction of at least four nuclear power plants to cope with the growing power shortage problem.

Batan head Soedyartomo Soentono said in a hearing with legislators here that the government has targeted the plants to generate power of 4,000 megawatts, which can supply 1.9 percent for the country's total electricity demand.

"As each plant has a capacity of between 600 megawatts and 1, 000 megawatts, we need at least four," Soentono said.

The project is expected to begin in 2010 and go into operation in 2016, he added.

Indonesia planned to build its first nuclear reactor in the Central Java town of Jepara.

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