Mamuju, W Sulawesi (ANTARA Sulbar) - The National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) said most Indonesians agree to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
"BATAN has carried out a survey and the result showed that 70 percent of the people want to utilize the country`s nuclear energy potential for the national development," BATAN chief Prof Dr Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto said here on Thursday.
The idea to develop nuclear energy has long been a controversial issue. The most serious step to build the country`s nuclear power plant failed during the Suharto administration.
The country`s first nuclear power plant was to be built on the foot of Mount Muria in the northeastern coast of Central Java failed on strong protest from local people and anti nuclear society.
Dr Djarot said only 30 percent of the Indonesian people are against development of nuclear energy for fear of the risk.
"Therefore, the country`s nuclear energy potential would be developed for national development," he said, but he gave no concrete plan of development.
He said BATAN is taking synchronization steps in the management of nuclear energy with the country`s 34 provincial administrations.
"Nuclear energy would be developed for use in various fields such as in farming, animal husbandry and fishery sectors to increase productivity and improve quality," he said.
He said BATAN will recruit nuclear researchers from the Nuclear Technology Institute of (STTN) in Yogyakarta.
"Currently BATAN has 2800 researchers and the number would be increased from the STTN," he said.
Former minister for state enterprises Dahlan Iskan said he had approved plan to build the country`s first nuclear power plant to meet rising energy demand.
Nuclear issue has always triggered controversy in the country, but the plan to build a 200 kilowatt nuclear power plant could proceed, Dahlan was quoted as saying earlier.
The government has also approved plan in the next phase to build a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2 megawatts .
Dahlan dismissed fear of radiation danger saying the latest radiation leak at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima had caused no loss of life .
The provincial administration of Banka Belitung has offered place for the project in one of its islands.
However, the National Energy Council said nuclear power is not included in the priority in the country�s energy development program until 2050.
Chairman of the national Energy Council Darwin Zahedy Saleh said the government had decided to develop geothermal and gas energy as the main energy sources to be developed until 2050 .
Earlier the government will continue to study possible development of nuclear power , but it would not be in the priority.
It said nuclear energy is the last choice of energy sources and the country will first utilize its abundant gas reserves and renewable energy before considering nuclear energy.
Former deputy minister for energy and mineral resources Widjajono Partowidagdo said in addition to oil, the country has in abundant natural gas, coal and geothermal reserves and other renewable energy sources.
Nuclear energy is more expensive and has higher risk than coal, gas and geothermal energy, he was quoted as saying ***1*** (AS/f001)
(T.SYS/A/H-ASG/F001) 30-10-2014 11:55:27
"BATAN has carried out a survey and the result showed that 70 percent of the people want to utilize the country`s nuclear energy potential for the national development," BATAN chief Prof Dr Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto said here on Thursday.
The idea to develop nuclear energy has long been a controversial issue. The most serious step to build the country`s nuclear power plant failed during the Suharto administration.
The country`s first nuclear power plant was to be built on the foot of Mount Muria in the northeastern coast of Central Java failed on strong protest from local people and anti nuclear society.
Dr Djarot said only 30 percent of the Indonesian people are against development of nuclear energy for fear of the risk.
"Therefore, the country`s nuclear energy potential would be developed for national development," he said, but he gave no concrete plan of development.
He said BATAN is taking synchronization steps in the management of nuclear energy with the country`s 34 provincial administrations.
"Nuclear energy would be developed for use in various fields such as in farming, animal husbandry and fishery sectors to increase productivity and improve quality," he said.
He said BATAN will recruit nuclear researchers from the Nuclear Technology Institute of (STTN) in Yogyakarta.
"Currently BATAN has 2800 researchers and the number would be increased from the STTN," he said.
Former minister for state enterprises Dahlan Iskan said he had approved plan to build the country`s first nuclear power plant to meet rising energy demand.
Nuclear issue has always triggered controversy in the country, but the plan to build a 200 kilowatt nuclear power plant could proceed, Dahlan was quoted as saying earlier.
The government has also approved plan in the next phase to build a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2 megawatts .
Dahlan dismissed fear of radiation danger saying the latest radiation leak at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima had caused no loss of life .
The provincial administration of Banka Belitung has offered place for the project in one of its islands.
However, the National Energy Council said nuclear power is not included in the priority in the country�s energy development program until 2050.
Chairman of the national Energy Council Darwin Zahedy Saleh said the government had decided to develop geothermal and gas energy as the main energy sources to be developed until 2050 .
Earlier the government will continue to study possible development of nuclear power , but it would not be in the priority.
It said nuclear energy is the last choice of energy sources and the country will first utilize its abundant gas reserves and renewable energy before considering nuclear energy.
Former deputy minister for energy and mineral resources Widjajono Partowidagdo said in addition to oil, the country has in abundant natural gas, coal and geothermal reserves and other renewable energy sources.
Nuclear energy is more expensive and has higher risk than coal, gas and geothermal energy, he was quoted as saying ***1*** (AS/f001)
(T.SYS/A/H-ASG/F001) 30-10-2014 11:55:27