Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia is considering Chinese and Russian technology for its first nuclear power plants, as it looks to tap into a 24,000-ton uranium reserve in West Kalimantan to support its future energy needs, according to the 2025-2034 electricity plan (RUPTL).
Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung said on Friday that nuclear plant development is included in the government's roadmap to add 69.5 gigawatts (GW) of power capacity over the next decade. Of that, 500 megawatts (MW) are planned to come from nuclear energy, split evenly between Sumatra and Kalimantan.
"The options on the table now include nuclear technology from China or Russia," Yuliot told reporters at the Energy Ministry in Jakarta. "We're still assessing whether to use small modular reactor (SMR) technology or a large-scale design."
While countries like South Korea have opted for large-scale nuclear power technology, Indonesia is still looking at global references for SMRs before deciding on a partner country.
Yuliot said the government is prioritizing technology selection at this stage, alongside considerations for local content requirements, which currently stand at around 40 percent. The government has yet to finalize an international partner for the nuclear projects.
The ministry is also preparing new regulations to enable the processing of radioactive materials, especially uranium found in West Kalimantan, which could be used to fuel the future nuclear plants.
According to PLN's RUPTL, West Kalimantan holds a uranium reserve of around 24,112 tons in Melawi Regency, along with renewable energy potential from hydropower, biomass, and biogas.
Uranium is the primary fuel for nuclear reactors, but the development of nuclear power in Indonesia still depends on government policy and feasibility studies. The country is currently drafting a government regulation to allow for the purification and processing of radioactive materials like uranium.
"We're finalizing the government regulation now. Hopefully, it can be implemented soon to enable uranium processing," Yuliot said. He added that handling radioactive materials falls under a specialized business area requiring strict supervision.
Stakeholders in the nuclear development effort will include the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), and the Energy Ministry.
"We are also paying close attention to environmental aspects. Our current focus is on setting up uranium purification and processing," Yuliot said.
Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia previously announced that Sumatra and Kalimantan had been chosen as sites for Indonesia's first nuclear power plants, each with a capacity of 250 MW. This initiative is part of the national transition toward renewable and low-carbon energy sources.
According to the RUPTL, 61 percent, or 42.6 GW, of the planned additional capacity will come from renewable energy, while 15 percent, or 10.3 GW, will be in the form of energy storage. The remaining 24 percent (16.6 GW) will be powered by fossil fuels, including 10.3 GW from gas and 6.3 GW from coal.