Jakarta – The government must not be complacent regarding the offer from a Russian company to construct a nuclear power plant (PLTN). There must be thorough preparation and careful calculations to ensure that the hope of clean and cheap electricity does not end in disaster.

Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, a company owned by the Russian government, has been lobbying stakeholders to approve the construction of a nuclear power plant. There have been various offers, from construction as part of a package including technology and funding, to training of human resources.

This offer is in line with President Prabowo Subianto's ambition for nuclear power plants to meet national electricity needs, which will continue to increase in the future. The government has also issued a number of regulations to support the entry of foreign investors prepared to build such plants. One of these is the latest National Energy Policy approved by the House of Representatives, which states that nuclear power is no longer the last resort.

Nuclear power plants are inevitable and unavoidable to meet the national energy demand in the long term. In order to realize this plan, the government has much work to do. As well as issuing a number of policies supporting the development of this alternative energy source, the government needs to make immediate improvements.

Besides providing human resources with necessary technical skills on the ground, major gaps, such as institutional readiness and a culture of safety, must also receive serious attention. For too long, these two aspects have been long-standing, unresolved issues.

From the institutional side, for example, the channels for coordination between institutions to manage the development, commissioning, and monitoring on the ground must be clear from the outset. And if ultimately this involves multinational companies, this must be through a transparent tender process.

Any overseas partners that are selected must provide the optimal added value, as well as offering the safest possible construction and management process, effective and efficient technology, and cheapest electricity with the minimum geopolitical risks.

Another key factor is the implementation of an obligatory zero-error safety culture around the nuclear power plant. The two major accidents at Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986 and at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan in 2011 that caused significant casualties have taught us that safety standards in this sector must be rigorous and non-negotiable.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the number of workplace accidents continues to rise from year to year. Although this does not automatically reflect the data for workplace accidents in power plants, data from the Manpower Ministry is still concerning. Throughout 2024, there were 462,241 workplace accidents, an increase over the previous year's figure of 370,747.

As a long-term investment project, a nuclear power plant requires not only an in-depth study of business profit and loss but also a review of safety aspects, sustainability, and activities that can leverage economic growth. The selection of a working partner should not solely consider the romanticism of the historical relationship between Indonesia and Russia.

– Read the complete story in Tempo English Magazine

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2074594/nuclear-power-plant-homewor