Indonesia lays foundation for nuclear power industry

The central control room of a nuclear power plant. (Photo:Shutterstock)

Jakarta – Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has signed a regulation that details new safety and security requirements for businesses seeking to mine nuclear materials in the country, The Jakarta Post reported.

Government Regulation No. 52/2022, which came into effect on December 12, requires businesses to complete a safety analysis before beginning to mine for nuclear materials. This includes a feasibility study, a design and construction plan for the mine, as well as emergency responses and countermeasures in case of a nuclear accident. In addition, businesses are required to manage their nuclear waste and conduct radiation exposure training programmes.

Mining firms are also asked to commit, in a formal document, that they will not work in service of the development of nuclear arms. They must submit a business and development plan and regularly provide authorities with an updated inventory of nuclear materials mined and imports of any special equipment.

Those that fail to comply with the safety and security procedures will face administrative sanctions, ranging from written reprimands and administrative fines to license revocations.

The new regulation comes a month after Jokowi amended a regulation relating to the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency’s (Bapeten) non-tax revenue sources. Accordingly, Bapeten is allowed to receive non-tax revenue from administrative sanctions for businesses that do not comply with current regulations.

The new regulations may serve a government plan, which aims to build the country’s first nuclear power plant by 2040.

Indonesia currently has three nuclear reactors for research purposes. They are the 2-MW Triga 2000 reactor in Bandung, West Java, the 30-MW GA Siwabessy reactor in Serpong, Banten, and the 100-kW Kartini reactor in Yogyakarta.

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