YOGYAKARTA- Currently, the availability of primary energy in Indonesia is getting rare. Due to demand of tight environment requirement, use of nuclear power plant for maximum provision of energy supplies is the right solution. On the other hand, use of nuclear technology is also encouraging high-tech transfer which is very useful for the construction of national capacity to increase competition leverage at the international level.
“Nuclear energy is very much required remembering the national energy demand,” Head of Evaluation and Documentation of National Energy Agency, Drs. Dedy Miharja, M.Si, in the public discussion on energy held by Association of Post-graduate Students of UGM, Saturday (24/11) in Faculty of Biology.
Deddy explained that in accordance with World Commission report for Environment and Development, use of nuclear power will support the security of national sustainable energy supply in terms of environment, intererest between generation, energy demand, sociopolitical, geopolitic and economic issues.
In terms of economic aspect, for example, nuclear energy use will stabilise electricity energy supply safely, reliably and economically, i.e: can help stabilise electricity costs because fuels cost is around 11% of the power generation cost and uranium portion as fuel is only 5% so electricity base cost is not vulnerable against uranium cost increase.
“Nuclear power establishment will give chance for national industry to participate and increase technology mastery that will stimulate national industry to be more developed,” Deddy said.
Deddy also mentioned five countries that largely use nuclear power, the U. S., France, Japan, Russia and South Korea while those that are ready and are constructing nuclear powerplants are China, Russia, India, South Korea and UAE.
Meanwhile, Ir. Hendra Iswahyudi, M.Si from Directorate General in Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said that in climate change framework, clean energy use is becoming the world trend and the renewable new energy is clean energy. Unfortunately, the development of renewable energy still meets challenges, such as the relatively higher price so unable to compete with conventional energy price (still subsidised).
“Besides, there is still the lack of incentives and mechanism of funding that support new renewable energy,” Hendra said.