Indonesia Sticks to Building Nuclear Power Plant

Indonesia Sticks to Building Nuclear Power Plant

Mar 28 - Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

The Indonesian government will continue its efforts to build a nuclear power plant, despite mounting opposition from environmental groups, according to English daily The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made it a national policy to (start) building a nuclear power plant in 2010 and start operation in 2016," State Minister for Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman was quoted by the newspaper.

"We already have the law and related regulations (in place) to allow the nuclear plant to be constructed."

Responding to opposition from environmental groups, the minister said the government would be criticized for any action it took to head off future electricity shortages.

"Some people just want to oppose anything the government does," he said.

"It's been decided by the president so, as a minister, I have to carry out the program. I can only stop the program if the president changes his policy."

Kusmayanto emphasized that Indonesia's nuclear program was for peaceful purposes and being supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"We are working closely with IAEA, which will also give us recommendations on where to build the nuclear plant. We still have to study the seismic stability of any site," he said.

Two sites are being mooted for the nuclear plant. One possible site would be near Mt. Muria in Jepara regency, Central Java, and another would be on Madura Island off East Java.