Indonesia Deemed More Prepared to Develop Nuclear Power Plants in ASEAN
The government is promoting energy mix diversification through the development of new and renewable energy. These efforts include the utilisation of nuclear energy as a reliable, low-emission baseload energy source, while reducing dependence on energy imports.
“In terms of technology, financing, and regulatory readiness, Indonesia is actually more prepared compared to other ASEAN countries,” said Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto in a written statement quoted on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.
Airlangga emphasised that nuclear energy development is one of the strategic options in strengthening national energy resilience. This is because nuclear can serve as a stable baseload source to complement fossil energy and other renewable energies.
Therefore, he said, the government has prepared various supporting aspects for the development of nuclear power plants (PLTN). This readiness encompasses regulations, technology, and international cooperation with various global partners. One of the steps already taken is the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
In addition, Indonesia also has significant resource potential to support nuclear energy. Uranium and thorium reserves are spread across several strategic regions, such as Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan.
The government targets a decision on PLTN construction to be made in 2027, with initial operations targeted for 2032 and a capacity of around 7 gigawatts by 2040. In the long term, nuclear energy is also targeted to make a significant contribution to the national energy mix as part of efforts to achieve Net Zero Emission by 2060.
Airlangga stated that the acceleration of implementation is highly determined by field execution readiness. The role of operators, particularly in managing technology and formulating concrete action plans, is a key factor.
Airlangga also highlighted the importance of human resource readiness and technology transfer. Moreover, public communication needs to be continuously strengthened to increase public understanding and acceptance of nuclear energy. This is an important part in ensuring the sustainability of the programme.
PLTN development also needs to be integrated with the needs of future industrial sectors. Sectors such as smelters and data centres require large amounts of clean and stable energy supply. Therefore, strengthening electrical infrastructure, including the development of smart grids and inter-regional connectivity, is very important.
On the other hand, the government continues to promote the acceleration of other renewable energy development. Solar energy is one of the main focuses, including through the dedieselisation programme in 3T regions. Strengthening the domestic solar panel industry is also continuously carried out to support energy independence.