RI to hold nuclear seminar

A seminar will be held in Jakarta for two days this week to discuss the possible development of nuclear power plants in Indonesia.

The seminar, jointly organized by the National Atomic Agency (Batan) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, was scheduled from May 17 through May 18 at the Jakarta Hilton International hotel, a spokesman for the Japanese company, Hideo Ikuno, said in a statement on Saturday.

"We expect some 100 participants from various nuclear-related agencies in Indonesia such as Batan and the Nuclear Energy Control Board (Bapeten)," he said.

Ikuno said local initiatives aimed to introduce nuclear power generation in Indonesia ground to a standstill after the economic crises began in late 1997. The resignation the following year of president Soeharto, who had been the driving force behind the program, further weakened its chances of resuming in the future.

Recently, however, momentum towards the goal had gathered renewed strength, he said.

The country first launched plans to introduce nuclear power generation in the late 1980s. Initially, the program progressed quickly with a feasibility study targeting 2003 for the opening of a 1,800 megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant. -- JP