Government denies plan on nuclear power plant

KARAWANG, West Java (JP): State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie reiterated Thursday that the government had no intention of building a nuclear power plant this year.

Habibie said that nuclear would remain the country's last energy resort.

"Any plan to build a nuclear power plant will depend on how the (energy supply) situation develops," Habibie said.

Habibie contradicted his earlier statement that development of the country's first nuclear plant would start this year and would operate by 2003.

In a more recent statement, he said the controversial plan might be postponed until 2030.

Then on Tuesday, he said President Soeharto had enacted a law to let the government start building a nuclear power plant in 2006. He said a feasibility study was underway and could be completed in six months.

Anti-nuclear activists have protested the law, saying that it should be revised so that the public has the right to decide whether they want nuclear power.

Habibie said, after the House of Representatives approved the bill, that Indonesia would adopt nuclear power once other energy sources failed to meet future demand.

Preliminary studies, costing Rp 22 billion (US$9.5 million), including the feasibility study, on a nuclear power plant have been ongoing for 20 years near the dormant Mt. Muria volcano in Jepara, Central Java.

Bewildered

In Jakarta, State Minister for Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said yesterday he was bewildered by reports on the nuclear power plant.

"This issue should no longer be fussed over. President Soeharto, Habibie and I have repeatedly said that going nuclear is the country's last alternative," Sarwono told reporters.

"There has been not one indication that a nuclear plant will be built soon. Now, is it possible that three officials are telling the same lie?" he asked.

Sarwono said the country was adhering to an energy policy based on diversified resources.

"The fact that we have many other energy sources, and all of them are feasible, has made nuclear power the last option," he said.

Sarwono said there was no reason to build a nuclear plant in Indonesia.

"If we did so, we would only be looking for trouble," he said, "Building it would be difficult for the country politically, technically and economically," he added.

He said that construction of a nuclear power plant would have to clear many hurdles including an approval from the House of Representatives.

The new nuclear law requires the government to gain the House's approval before building a nuclear power plant.

Sarwono said the government had studied other energy sources such as micro and macro hydro electricity, geothermal power and wind power.

"Of the country's geothermal potential, estimated at 19,000 megawatts of electricity, we are only using 3 percent," Sarwono said. (aan/bnt/amd)