An Indonesian plan to build two full-size nuclear reactors has outraged green groups and surprised analysts, who warned it would be a disaster-in-waiting for the volcanic island chain that is plagued by earthquakes and terrorism.
Indonesia's ambassador to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Thomas Aquino Sriwidjaja, says Jakarta has revived a plan to have nuclear power within 10 years.
He told a Paris conference on the future of nuclear power on Monday that the world's most populous Muslim nation needs to expand its sources of energy, even though it is a member of the OPEC oil cartel. He promised the proposed plants would be fully protected against the threat of terrorist attacks, despite Indonesia having been rocked by a series of deadly bombings in recent years.
"The introduction of a nuclear power program by the Indonesian government would not only serve as a solution to the rising demand for electricity, but is also expected to help save and prolong fossil energy for other purposes, as well as a part of global efforts to reduce global warming effects," Sriwidjaja said.
Indonesia already has three small research reactors located in Serpong, Yogyakarta and Bandung, operated by its National Nuclear Energy Agency.
An agency spokesman, Deddy Harsono, said the government planned to build two full-size nuclear power plants with a capacity of 600 megawatts by 2016. One would be in the central Java city of Jepara, while the other would be on Madura island near east Java.
Sriwidjaja called on developed countries to help Jakarta develop its nuclear energy program.
Australia – a major exporter of uranium – has previously expressed reservations about the idea.
Green activists warned of terrorist attacks and said construction safeguards would be compromised by Indonesia's endemic corruption problem. "We are worried about sabotage," Mutmainah, an anti-nuclear activist, told AAP. "When it's in irresponsible hands what would happen?"
Indonesia is one of the world's most earthquake prone and volcanically active nations – a fact tragically highlighted by the massive magnitude 9 quake and tsunami which devastated Aceh on Boxing Day, she said. "We know the technology will not be safe and we won't master it," Mutmainah said.
Hening Parlan, a nuclear expert formerly with the Indonesian Environment Forum, said Indonesia had other energy options, including some of the world's largest natural gas reserves. "Why not maximise them instead of using nuclear as an alternative?" she said.
Sriwidjaja said Indonesia – a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory and the IAEA's Additional Protocol permitting more intrusive, short-notice inspections – was aware of the threat of terrorists aiming to attack atomic facilities or acquire nuclear material.
"Indonesia has taken the necessary measures to minimise any possible threat to its own nuclear facilities [and] has also improved and strengthened the physical protection of the existing nuclear facilities in accordance with international standard requirements," he said.
The proposal would revive an earlier reactor plan put forward by former president and technocrat BJ Habibie, who fought for Indonesia to become a technology hub. Asia's economic crisis, the 1998 downfall of the dictator Suharto and Habibie's departure from power a year later ended that vision.
Victor Shum, a senior analyst with energy consultancy, Purvin and Gertz in Singapore, said he was surprised by the plan. "Indonesia is an oil and gas rich country that still belongs to OPEC, so nuclear energy would not seem to be the most obvious or acceptable option," he said.
"The real problem is that over the last few years Indonesia has become a net oil importer, not because of the lack of resources, but because they have not spent money on developing their oil and gas reserves due to political and economic instability.
Shum said Indonesia needed fresh international investment to revive its ailing oil and gas industry, rather than going nuclear. "Hopefully the new government of [president] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono can bring this," he said.