In a statement issued on Wednesday, ORTN's main expert researcher Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto said that constructing a nuclear power plant does require a large investment in the beginning, and handling its waste takes a long time.
However, its advantages exceed its drawbacks. For instance, it has a long operation time of more than 80 years, very low carbon emissions, small land utilization, reliability, and affordability.
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Thus, nuclear energy has become an alternative option to produce electricity with zero emissions, he noted.
In addition, in terms of human resources and infrastructure, Indonesia is ready to develop nuclear power plants.
However, the primary challenge lies in the social-political aspect, including the government's commitment to building nuclear power plants.
Indonesia has been preparing human resources in nuclear technology since the 1990s, Wisnubroto said.
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Human resources for the workforce are most required during the process of constructing a nuclear power plant, he informed.
Meanwhile, operating the plant only requires hundreds of human resources.
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Meanwhile, a member of the Indonesia Electricity Society Expert Board, Arnold Soestrisnanto, said that Indonesia needs to utilize nuclear energy to produce electricity since the energy transition era has come.
In addition, Indonesia is already aiming to achieve net-zero carbon by 2060, which can make nuclear power a consideration, he said.
Nuclear energy is renewable and has a longer utilization period compared to fossil fuel sources, he added.
Moreover, nuclear power is not based on natural resources, but rather on technology and human capability.
Nuclear power is dependent on how far humans can think to produce nuclear technology because its raw materials reside in the Earth, the Sun, and the solar system.
In addition, ORTN expert Surantoro said that Indonesia is capable of creating nuclear fuel independently.
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Translator: Martha H S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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