Regarding The Findings Of Uranium In West Kalimantan, The Government Has Prepared Regulations For PLTN Raw Materials

Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung (Photo: Maria Trisnawati/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is currently following a number of supporting rules for uranium processing as raw material for nuclear power plants (PLTN). Just so you know, this follows the findings of uranium and thorium in West Kalimantan which reached 24,112 tons.

"We are currently preparing the PP (Government Regulation). Hopefully, the PP can be implemented for refining the processing of radioactive materials for energy," said Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung to the media crew, Friday, June 20.

Yuliot said uranium processing was included in the radioactive business area. For this reason, he emphasized that the government is managing its licensing because the radioactive business area is more closely monitored.

The discussion on radioactive processing in the form of uranium for PLTN will also involve the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Nuclear Energy Supervisory Agency (Bapeten).

"So we will also pay attention from the environmental aspect," continued Yuliot.

For information, based on the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) of PT PLN (Persero) 2025-2034, the government plans to build a PLTN with a total capacity of 500 megawatts (MW). The plan for this PLTN will be built in Sumatra and Kalimantan with a capacity of 250 MW each. Meanwhile, the electricity supply from PLTN is targeted to enter the PLN network in 2032-2033.

Regarding the PLTN development plan, Yuliot ensured that the government was studying the technology to be used, namely the Small Modular Reactor (SMR).

"So for the technology offered, he said, it is from China or from Russia, this may be from the Minister's visit yesterday, maybe there is a discussion. We are waiting for an explanation from the Minister," said Yuliot.