As reported by the online media outlet Liputan 6, On September 11, 2024, the U.S.-based nuclear energy company ThorCon Power submitted a proposal to the Indonesian government to construct the country’s first nuclear power plant. If the proposal is approved, a nuclear power plant capable of providing 250 megawatts (MW), which can power an estimated 105,000 homes, will be constructed. What does this mean for Indonesia’s future? What are the challenges Indonesia will face?
First, what exactly is nuclear power? It refers to the controlled use of nuclear reactions like nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and nuclear fusion to generate electricity. These reactions produce significant heat (exceeding 800 degrees Celsius!), which is then used to heat a coolant, usually purified water. This heated coolant converts into steam, that powers a turbine to create electricity.
In 2022, fossil fuels make up 80% of Indonesia’s energy sources. As Indonesia’s population grows and its economy grows further, the demand for energy will only increase more. According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, the country’s power needs are increasing at a rate of 4.8 to 5.2 percent annually, which would result in an energy demand of 2,152 trillion watt hours (TWh) by 2060. This rapid growth and high dependency on limited supplies of fossil fuels is not a sustainable choice for Indonesia in the long term.
According to Worldometer, Indonesia has emitted almost 700 million tonnes of CO2 annually in 2022 alone; in which the energy industry makes up around 40% of that figure. Seeing that nuclear energy runs only on water and nuclear reactions such as fission, nuclear power plants produce little to no carbon emissions while in operation. Making nuclear energy extremely environmentally friendly compared to alternative sources of energy such as coal.
By investing in nuclear energy, Indonesia will be able to cut massive amounts of its carbon emissions and kickstart a journey to become a carbon-neutral country. Environmental friendliness is an essential factor for countries like Indonesia, where global warming effects, such as rising sea levels heavily impact it greatly as a country that consists of thousands of islands. Replacing the current power plants that run on unsustainable energy with much cleaner nuclear energy, such as nuclear, would be a major improvement.
Nuclear energy is one of the most efficient fuel sources we have. A small amount of nuclear fuel, such as uranium, plutonium, or graphite, can produce extraordinary amounts of energy. For example, according to the European Nuclear Society (ENS), with nuclear fission, 1 kilogram of uranium-235 can generate about 24 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. In comparison, 1 kilogram of petroleum only produces about 12 kWh. In other words, nuclear reactors are able to power entire aircraft carriers, such as the USS Nimitz for over 20 years at sea without a single refueling trip. The incredible efficiency of nuclear energy makes it a great choice in Indonesia and many other developing countries. Nuclear power could be a sustainable solution to meet these demands while reducing reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas.
While Indonesia isn’t in an energy deficiency, Indonesia does in fact face challenges in energy distribution and stability. Nuclear power plants are able to provide energy stability and support other renewable energy sources consistently in any weather. This would clean up the energy distribution as nuclear power can be used to power the main population areas, with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to provide power to more remote and isolated regions of the country. Thus, nuclear energy would stabilize Indonesia’s energy grid and reduce the amount of power outages in the future.
In addition to that, it should be said that nuclear energy will align with Indonesia’s vision to be a prosperous nation by its 100th anniversary of independence in 2045. The vision called Indonesia Emas 2045, is an optimistic vision for the future of the Indonesian people and state. The establishment of a nuclear power plant is in line with the integral pillars of Indonesia Emas 2045; notably, human development, the mastery of science and technology, and sustainable economic development.
Furthermore, Indonesia’s readiness to build nuclear reactors can be seen in the government’s priorities. Five days before Prabowo Subianto’s and Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s inauguration as president and vice president, they announced 17 programs that are to become their priorities in office. These priorities include self-sufficiency in energy and resources, strengthening education, science and technology, and environmental sustainability. These priorities to improve energy independence, scientific and technological progress, in addition to environmental concerns are key in Indonesia’s development of nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is not all sunshine and rainbows, however. We must not belittle the risks associated with nuclear energy, despite the great benefits that nuclear energy offers. The challenges of nuclear energy range from environmental concerns, technical issues, and the need to train specialised workers.
For Indonesia, a country that lies along the Ring of Fire, must take a proactive approach to prevent nuclear power plants from being heavily affected by natural disasters. The Ring of Fire is the most tectonically active area in the world. Due to how nuclear power plants work, they ideally would have easy access to water, such as a river or a sea. Coastal areas in the Ring of Fire would be especially risky as earthquakes may trigger massive tsunamis in the area, such as the ones in 2004 and 2011.
We must learn from the past, especially from countries that are in similar geographical conditions as Indonesia. Take the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, which also lies on the Ring of Fire as an example. After the Japanese detected the magnitude 9 earthquake in 2011, it caused an automatic system to send an order to all currently operational reactors to immediately shut off. However, due to electrical damage sustained as a result of the earthquake, the reactors automatically re-activated themselves using emergency cooling systems. The 15-meter tsunami wave that came 50 minutes later defeated the 6-meter-tall seawall installed at the power plant and damaged the critical equipment to keep the nuclear reactor operating safely. Including the electrical and cooling systems. The tsunami caused reactor units 1 through 5 to lose power, leading to the meltdowns of reactors 1, 2, and 3.
If Indonesia is serious about constructing nuclear energy power plants and integrating them into the power grid, it must do anything in its power to ensure that a disaster such as the one at the Fukushima nuclear power plant will never happen again. To achieve this, Indonesia must:
- Design nuclear reactors with integrated and advanced redundant and safety systems.
A lesson learned from the Fukushima nuclear disaster is the importance of having redundant systems. Indonesia must be prepared to funnel money into building seawalls that span for many kilometres, and backup systems for both energy and cooling.
- Select a suitable location.
For Indonesia to have an ideal location for nuclear power plants, it must meet all the required requirements. As mentioned before, nuclear power plants work best with easy access to water sources. Thus, the risk of tsunamis and other natural disasters is a major point of consideration in choosing a location for a nuclear power plant. Meaning Indonesia should avoid constructing nuclear power plants along the western coasts of Sumatra and the northern coasts of Sulawesi, where historically many earthquakes and tsunamis happen.
The safest locations would be on islands that face the central part of the archipelago, such as northern Java, the eastern coasts of Sumatra, and southern Borneo. These areas are safer as they are farther from the Ring of Fire, as their surrounding geography can help absorb the impact of earthquakes or tsunamis.
On December 11th 2024, the Indonesian National Energy Council (DEN), released a list of possible nuclear power plant locations. Some locations include; Muria in central Java, Bangka Belitung islands, Batam, and multiple other islands across the Nusantara archipelago.
- Set up a waste management system.
Nuclear waste or radioactive waste is the leftover spent nuclear fuel that is used to create electricity. 96% of spent nuclear fuel is recycled back into uranium-based mixed-oxide fuels, while the other 4% is considered waste. Radioactive waste must be stored in a safe place, where waste can be stored until it has enough time to undergo radioactive decay and become stable elements.
Storing nuclear waste is especially difficult, as it is important for nuclear power plants to not contaminate the surrounding environment with radiation. The most common way to store nuclear waste is in a pool of water to contain the heat generated from nuclear decay. Indonesia must create a containment facility that is strong in architecture, with safety and reliability engineered into it, to avoid accidents such as the nuclear waste fire in Tokaimura, Japan back in 1997.
- Train high-skilled workers.
To conduct safe operations of nuclear reactors, Indonesia must invest in creating high-skilled workers who know what they’re doing. If everything else fails, workers represent the final line of defence against a total disaster. Overlooking experienced workers, a solid command structure and protocols give deadly results, such as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, where a flawed reactor design and a lack of human training caused the worst nuclear disaster in history.
It must be noted that an Indonesian nuclear power plant would also heavily affect ASEAN and its member states. In the last decade, ASEAN conducted joint projects together with Canada, Japan, China, and the USA to promote the development of regional civilian nuclear power programmes among the member states of ASEAN. While ASEAN promotes nuclear energy, the perception of the public towards nuclear energy may still be negative. After the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, public perception towards nuclear energy and its safety plummeted. Indonesia and ASEAN must be able to educate the people about nuclear energy and convince them that nuclear safety is not as bad as they think it is.
Why should Indonesia and ASEAN care about public perception? Multiple countries have cancelled or shut down their nuclear power programs due to negative public support. In response to the Chernobyl disaster, Italy held a referendum in 1987 concerning the country’s nuclear power plants, and it resulted in the de-commissioning of all four of the country’s nuclear power plants in 1990. Something similar happened in Germany, where the government decided to shut down all currently operating nuclear power plants by 2023, following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
In conclusion, if given the green light, the proposal to construct Indonesia’s first nuclear power plant represents a major step in addressing the country’s ever-growing desire for energy and a step forward in becoming a more eco-friendly country. Nuclear energy provides a wide array of benefits such as high efficiency, low carbon emissions, and reliability, making it an appealing option for a sustainable future.
However, it is imperative that Indonesia prioritises safety above all else. To achieve such, Indonesia must be willing to invest vast amounts of money into constructing strong and reliable infrastructure, with redundant backup systems an important part of the power plant’s operations. Thus, gaining support from its people in establishing the nuclear power plan becomes priority as well.