(328.3279) WISE Amsterdam - At a November press conference, Djali Ahimsa, Director of the National Atomic Agency (BATAN), stated that feasibility studies would soon begin in preparation for the construction of Indonesia's first nuclear power plant. The reactor is to be built at Mt. Muria, on the north coast of Central Java.
In response to the announcement, WALHI (the Indonesian Environmental Forum) issued a press release urging the government to release information about the social and physical changes in the area so that people can adapt themselves to the new environment. Nuclear power, the statement reads, "should not only involve nuclear experts but the people as well, because in the end it will be the people who bear the risks. The people also have the right to know, to speak up, and to be involved in the decision.
When the government had earlier announced the shelving of nuclear plans, energy officials said the country would be able to meet energy needs by exploiting natural gas reserves. In the latest announcement, Ahimsa did not bother to state if those needs have been met or if the government is merely anxious to join the "nuclear club".
The project's price tag of approximately US $1 billion is come from foreign investments. Companies from Europe, US and Japan have expressed interest in the project. It has not yet been disclosed what type of reactor will be constructed, but the first unit of the plant is expected to come on line in 12 years with a capacity of 800 MW. Additional units are expected to bring the full capacity to 3,000 MW.
Before any nuclear project gets underway, the WALHI press release stated that a detailed assessment must be made on nuclear storage monitoring potential leakages, and transportation of nuclear waste. Until such questions are answered, WALHI says, nuclear power has no place in Indonesia.
Source: Environesia (Indonesia), Dec. 1989
Contact: WALHI, Jalan Penjernihan 1, Kompleks Keuangan No. 15, Pejompongan, Jakarta 10210, Indonesia, tel: (021) 586-820 or 583-975.
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