The future of nuclear power in Indonesia

The current economic development strategy of Indonesia envisages rapid expansion of the small industrial and manufacturing sector. Recently, hydrocarbons have provided 70% of government revenues, 80% of foreign earnings, and 90% of commercial domestic energy consumption. Finite resources (89.5 × 109 BOE of oil plus gas, 19.3 × 109 tons of coal), plus limitations on hydropower and geothermal development by the year 2000 (partly because of location) indicate that nuclear power will be necessary. Year 2000 projected requirements for Java are 80 TWh, corresponding to 17–22 GWe. Year 2000 coal availability of 12–18 × 106 annual tons then indicate a residual nuclear requirement of 1–4 GWe, assuming reasonable geothermal and hydropower development and no new oil-burning plants. A nuclear research center will be built near Jakarta with a 30-MW multipurpose research reactor and other facilities. The next steps in the program are: 1.(1) set up a nuclear regulatory branch of BATAN (the National Atomic Energy Agency);2.(2) establish a state-owned nuclear construction and operation organization;3.(3) establish a design engineering and management organization; and4.(4) decide on the type of plant and build two to four units by 2000.