World fossil fuel energy supply is predicted not to last long. Petroleum will last until the next 42 years while LNG 62 years. Even so, energy need is met by using renewable energy resource, including uranium, a nuclear energy resource. Uranium is predicted to be available to meet world energy need for the next 3,600 years. This is said by Expert Staff to the Minister of Research and Technology for Energy and Material, Dr. Agus R. Hoetman, Wednesday (5/12) in the Seminar, Dissemination of Research and Direction of Policy for Food Security and Energy at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
Agus said uranium with process recycle or reprocessing can last until 3,600 more years, so uranium is very potential as alternative in meeting world energy need. “In Indonesia, uranium potential reserves are spread in some areas outside Java, so this will enable nuclear energy use if there is no fossil fuel supply any longer,” he explained.
Agus said energy use in Indonesia in 2010 is dominated by fossil fuel by 95.21% while renewable energy has been used for less than 5% only. Observing the depleted fossil energy supply, he saw it proper to maximise the use of new energy and renewable energy as Indonesia has large potential in new energy resources. “Indonesia is a country very rich in variations of new and renewable energy, such as water, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar energy,” he said.
Another thing to renew energy is by energy conservation, which will save costs rather than adding needs. “The cheapest energy supply is conservation, but the implementation is meticulous,” Agus said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dra. Wega Trisunaryanti, M.S., Ph.D. Eng., Professor in Chemistry of the Faculty said that hydrogen is one renewable energy resource that is potential to be used as alternative in meeting energy demand. Hydrogen is also environment friendly, unlike fossil energy.