Government Plans To Add 7 GW Nuclear Plants Until 2040

President Director of PT PLN (Persero) Darmawan Prasodjo. (Photo: Doc. PLN)

JAKARTA - The government plans to increase the capacity of the Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN) by 7 gigawatts (GW) by 2040.

Whereas previously in the Electric Power Supply Business Draft (RUPTL) for the period 2025-2034, the government only planned to build two PLTNs with a capacity of 500 MW in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

President Director of PT PLN (Persero) Darmawan Prasodjo said this was still in the form of a listing sector modeling conducted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) today at the Directorate General of Electricity and also PLN until 2040.

"There will be an additional 7 nuclear gigawatts that will be included in the RUPTL until 2040. This is still a draft, so the modeling is in process," he said at a Hearing Meeting with Commission XII DPR RI, Tuesday, August 26.

According to him, the plan to build a 7 GW PLTN requires careful planning, political support, institutional or institutional establishment, and support from the community.

The formation of PLTN is needed because there is a risk of climate change so that affordable energy is needed to support massive economic growth, employment and invite new investments.

"But in this case, it is also necessary to reduce the emission of glassy gas, the environmental sustainability of how between balancing between growth and also the environmental sustainability," he continued.

Darmawan emphasized that in the construction of PLTN, political support from all parties is needed considering that PLN is only a state-owned company that carries out its duties based on assignments from the state.

"So we are only operating any policies from the government, so here we need development and utilization, especially from nuclear, because 500 MW in the RUPTL is only the first stage," he said.

Previously, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said there were 5 countries interested in investing in Indonesia in the Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN) project.

"We have identified several countries that there are around 4 or 5 countries that have an interest in developing Indonesian nuclear power," said Bahlil, Monday, August 25.

Kendati demikian, Bahlil tidak merinci lebih lanjut negara mana saja yang ingin menanamkan modalnya di Indonesia.

Namun, ia menyebut, dua di antaranya adalah Rusia dan Kanada yang sudah melakukan pertemuan secara langsung.

"Salah satunya Kanada, ya Rusia juga. Sudah ketemu," imbuh dia.

Ketua Umum Partai Golkar ini mengatakan, saat ini negara tengah mempelajari semua proposal yang telah diajukan.

However, Bahlil did not elaborate further on which countries wanted to invest in Indonesia.

However, he said, two of them were Russia and Canada who had held meetings in person.

"One of them is Canada, yes Russia too. We have found it," he added.

The chairman of the Golkar Party said that the state is currently studying all the proposals that have been submitted.