Work on nuclear plant to begin
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
Work on the much-disputed Muria nuclear power plant (PLTN) in Jepara regency, Central Java, will start soon, a senior government official said in Semarang on Monday.
Arnold Y. Soetrisnanto, head of the Nuclear Energy Development Center of the National Nuclear Power Agency (Batan), said that the agency would commence a feasibility study into the project sometime this year.
"The power plant will consist of six generator units, each capable of generating 1,000 megawatts (MW)," he said.
He explained that as projected, the scheme would cost US$12 billion and, according to the schedule, would be completed in 2016.
Building construction on the project would take around six to seven years.
"We are cooperating with people affected by the construction of the nuclear power plant.
"We hope that they will agree with the project," he said.
According to a preliminary study, people living near the site of the project agreed with it, but those living further away were against the idea.
"I don't know the details as we are only dealing with the technology field," he said.
The areas that have been surveyed in Jepara are Ujung Watu, Ujung Lemah Abang, Ujung Grenggongan and Balong.
In the meantime, the head of the Social and Cultural Studies Center of Diponegoro University, Semarang, Mujahirin Thohir, who obtained first-hand information from the public said: "We arranged a series of group discussions in which there were three categories of people: the first said they were familiar with the purposes and safety precautions for nuclear technology, the second was uncertain and the third, mostly from non-governmental organizations, rejected the idea."
The planned construction of the power plant was once strongly protested in 1997 to 1998 during the New Order regime, and was never heard of during the Abdurrahman Wahid government.
According to Arnold, the government would involve private parties in the funding of the project, including Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company.
The realization of Muria PLTN is hoped to increase electricity generation capacity.