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Bisnis Indonesia - Pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir: Era setrum berbasis atom
5 June 2025
By Anitana W. Puspa, Rahmad Fauzan, and Lukas Hendra T.M
The launch of the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) 2025–2034 marks a new chapter in Indonesia’s power generation technology, with nuclear power plants (PLTNs) now included as a key option for boosting the national renewable energy mix.
This milestone was acknowledged by Director-General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), Eniya Listiani Dewi, who stated that, for the first time in Indonesia’s energy planning history, PLTNs have been officially integrated into the National Electricity General Plan (RUKN) and RUPTL.
According to her, this step signals Indonesia’s transition towards clean and sustainable energy.
Eniya explained that PLTNs are considered a base-load power plant capable of supplying stable electricity for 24 hours without interruption, making it an ideal candidate to support national energy security.
Additionally, she highlighted that nuclear energy development aligns with Indonesia’s commitment to achieving Net Zero Emissions (NZE) in the future.
The MEMR has also submitted an official request to various ministries to establish the Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organisation (NEPIO), which will oversee PLTN development in Indonesia.
Currently, discussions on NEPIO’s formation are ongoing with the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan-RB), the State Secretariat Ministry, and the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham).
"The specific types of PLTN to be utilised will be determined by the working groups within NEPIO," Eniya explained to Bisnis on Saturday (31/5).
In a previous RUPTL presentation, Eniya noted that MEMR Bahlil Lahadalia stated that the electricity grids in Sumatra and Kalimantan would serve as the initial points of integration for nuclear power into the national electricity system.
She explained that National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is currently conducting studies to identify locations with favourable public acceptance, using historical data from the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan)—now the Nuclear Technology Research Organisation (ORTN) under BRIN.
However, she clarified that PLTN development is still in the early research phase. Key assessments, including the Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal), investor selection, and developer appointments, remain unfinished. She assured that all steps would be carried out carefully and systematically.
Previously, Eniya had revealed that six countries had expressed interest in developing nuclear power plants in Indonesia—the United States, Russia, Denmark, Canada, the United Kingdom, and China.
However, she stressed that none of the submitted collaboration proposals had been officially processed.
Indonesia’s nuclear market potential has also been recognised by PT Xpert Synergy Solution, a domestic nuclear consultancy.
Founder and CEO Bob S. Effendi noted that several nations—including Russia, China, Canada, and the United States (US)—are among those keen on investing. He urged the government to anticipate the growing interest.
However, Bob pointed out that Indonesia must meet several requirements, particularly the testing criteria for small modular reactors (SMRs), which mandate a minimum operational history of two years.
"The issue is that there are no fully tested SMRs yet. That is actually the biggest challenge—it creates a contradiction," he told Bisnis recently.
Additionally, Bob noted that many global nuclear companies prefer financing through the state budget (APBN). However, he believes Indonesia’s fiscal space will be limited in the coming years.
As an alternative, he suggested foreign loans through government-to-government (G2G) schemes, though he warned that APBN would still bear the debt repayments under this model.
Timely implementation
According to the RUPTL document, PLTN is targeted to begin supplying electricity to the national grid between 2032 and 2033, with an annual capacity of 300 megawatts (MW).
Responding to this timeline, Head of ORTN at BRIN, Syaiful Bakhri, stated that it represents a national aspiration, urging all stakeholders to work collectively to achieve the goal.
He explained that, based on international experience, the median construction time for large nuclear power plants is approximately seven years. This does not include site approval and construction permits, which typically require an additional 1.5–2 years each.
"In total, the process takes around 10–15 years. For large nuclear power plants, the median is seven years—though some take longer, while others, like China’s, average five years," he explained.
However, regarding small modular reactors (SMRs), he acknowledged that they pose a new challenge for Indonesia.
He pointed out that authorities are still evaluating which SMR vendors can guarantee that the full development process will be completed within the 2025–2034 timeframe.
Therefore, he underscored the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders, including the MEMR, the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), investors, and technology vendors.
"If synergy is achieved—whether under NEPIO or directly with the MEMR—we must also prepare for scenarios where implementation extends beyond 2032–2034," he concluded.
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