The government is planning to develop Nuclear Power Plants (PLTN) as part of the national electricity supply, considering them a strategic, long-term, and sustainable option. According to the 2025–2034 Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL), nuclear technology utilization is targeted to begin operating in 2032. However, there is an opportunity to accelerate the timeline to 2029 if all regulatory, technological, and institutional prerequisites can be fulfilled. The installed nuclear power capacity is even projected to gradually increase to 35 gigawatts, potentially supplying around 14% of national energy demand.
Responding to the discourse, Professor Andang Widi Harto, a lecturer in Advanced Power Reactor Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering Universitas Gadjah Mada (FT UGM), stated that three stages can be undertaken to realize the PLTN initiative. The first stage begins with utilizing existing technologies. This stage should be accompanied by Research and Development (R&D) to develop designs that further advance available technologies.
“We aim to eventually achieve technological independence so that R&D can start simultaneously with the initial stage,” he said on Thursday (Feb. 12).
In the second stage, development requires regulatory readiness, institutional strengthening, investment certainty, and research and human resource development, all of which cannot be overlooked. As the only Nuclear Engineering Study Program in Indonesia, Professor Harto emphasized that UGM plays a role in preparing human resources, particularly in preparation, feasibility assessment, and supervision processes.
“We can prepare operators to oversee nuclear technical operations. We can also provide basic knowledge training or consultation related to nuclear technology,” he explained.
In the third stage, Professor Harto highlighted radioactive waste management as a primary concern in PLTN operations. He explained that radioactive waste is currently managed under strict and controlled handling systems. The main challenge lies in the longevity of radioactive waste, which can remain hazardous for thousands of years, thus requiring secure long-term storage systems.
“PLTN radioactive waste is already being managed. All waste is contained in containers. The challenge is ensuring that these containers can last for hundreds of years without deterioration,” the professor said.
Furthermore, Professor Harto noted that long-term solutions are being developed through active waste recycling technology. Unfortunately, the technology is still under development and not yet commercially available.
“The technology is not yet ready for implementation, but conceptually and theoretically it already exists and can continue to be developed,” he added.
Despite the opportunities and challenges, he acknowledged that nuclear power development in Indonesia cannot be realized instantly. However, the nation’s steadily increasing electricity demand opens space for nuclear energy as a stable, low-emission energy source. With careful planning and controlled risk management, the initiative could become an opportunity to build Indonesia’s technological independence in the future.
“Risks certainly exist. But technologically, we are capable of addressing them,” he concluded.
Author: Diyana Khairunnisa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Zabrina Kumara Putri
Photograph: Canva