Hashim Djojohadikusumo took advantage of the moment of dialogue with Bill Gates at the State Palace to raise two crucial issues that are developing in Indonesia: the development of nuclear energy and natural-based solutions. This meeting took place in a limited forum with President Prabowo Subianto and a number of national entrepreneurs at the State Palace, Wednesday, May 7.
Hashim started by alluding to Gates' interest in clean energy investment. He specifically mentioned the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project that Gates is developing in the state of Wyoming, United States.
"I know you are building a SMR in Wyoming. Our government is also preparing a very ambitious nuclear power generation program," Hashim told Gates. He also admitted that he met Edward Jung several times, one of Gates' partners in research and technology development.
Apart from energy, Hashim also raised environmental issues. He emphasized the importance of nature-based solutions such as reforestation, preservation of wildlife, and restoration of natural habitats. This is something I really interest in personally," said Hashim.
In response to this question, Gates explained that his attention to energy started from the need for cheap electricity in developing countries. But on his way, he is increasingly aware of the urgency of climate change. We have to reduce emissions to zero," Gates said.
Gates then told the establishment of his company, TerraPower, in 2006. The goal is to develop a fourth-generation nuclear reactor that is safer and more cost-effective. Conventional reactors, he said, use a water conditioning system and high pressure, which makes it complicated and expensive.
SEE ALSO:
Initially, the TerraPower project was carried out in collaboration with China. But the US government then stopped the partnership. Now, Gates' first SMR reactor is being built in the US with an operational target of 2030.
"Negara-negara seperti Jepang, Korea Selatan, Prancis, dan Inggris ingin menggunakan energi nuklir. Tapi teknologinya masih terlalu mahal. Kami ingin membukti bahwa desain baru ini bisa murah dan sangat aman," jelas Gates.
The project also involves industrial partners from South Korea, including Hyundai and SK Group, which are the main investors in the reactor development.
Gates said that in the next decade, TerraPower is targeting the construction of more than 30 gigawatts of nuclear-based electricity capacity.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
