"Batan Teknologi must be able to increase its production capacity until 900 Cory Cycle (a production unit for a radioisotope) a week from presently only 40 Cori Cycle. Batan must be able to secure a world radioisotope market," Dahlan Iskan said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan has urged PT Batan Teknologi to increase its production of radioisotope Molybdenum-99 Fission (M099), a chemical to detect cancer in a human body.

"Batan Teknologi must be able to increase its production capacity until 900 Cory Cycle (a production unit for a radioisotope) a week from presently only 40 Cori Cycle. Batan must be able to secure a world radioisotope market," he said at his office here on Tuesday.

After visiting the plant of the state-owned company in the Technology and Science Research Center (Puspitek) in Serpong in the province of Banten, Dahlan said how important was for Batan Teknologi to increase its radioisotope production to meet the demand for M099 from a number of countries including China.

"This is what I have brought from my recent visit to China. When I met with the Chinese trade minister (when accompanying President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a recent visit to China) they said they wished to import more radioisotope from Indonesia," he said.

Dahlan said the opportunity must be taken by revitalizing the production rate of Batan Teknologi.

"I immediately visited Batan (upon arrival from China) to see its production capacity. I have also ordered the company to prepare itself to grab the business opportunity that has been in front of them," he said.

For the purpose, he said the company had to provide an investment of around Rp100 billion to be used as a working capital, to improve its production equipment and plant facilities.

"It is up to Batan where it would find it. It could come from banks or from PT Perusahaan Pengelola Aset (PPA). I think it is not a difficult problem as the buyer is already there," he said.

He said with the capital it is hoped Batan could increase its M099 export market with an estimated income of between Rp1 trillion and Rp5 trillion a year, rising from only around Rp50 billion a year before.

Dahlan said Batan Teknologi had so far exported a small amount of M099 to Malaysia, the Philippines and Bangladesh.

"Now exports must be increased. China has already committed to ordering up to 300 Cori per week. Japan meanwhile is considering to import around 1,000 Cori a week," he said.

He hoped a large scale export could be realized in August 1, 2012 while increasing the export capacity up to around 900 Cori per week could be realized in 2013, he said.

"To increase the production capacity Batan also has to increase the number of its employees by 25 more from now only 90," he said.

That would make Batan Teknologi one of the world`s biggest radioisotope producers, he said.

"The world`s radioisotope production has dropped lately because a lot of nuclear rectors are already old and could not be used anymore. Now Batan with its reactor relatively younger has an opportunity to take over their market," he said. (*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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