Russian President Vladimir Putin received Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia's defense minister and president-elect, at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 31. - AP
JAKARTA: Indonesia is in talks with the United States and Russia about acquiring technology to develop nuclear power plants, a deputy minister told Reuters on Friday.
South-East Asia’s biggest economy is looking at operating nuclear power plants as early as 2036 to cut its dependence on fossil fuels, said Vivi Yulaswati, a deputy at the National Development Planning Ministry.
The country is open to both small modular reactors and conventional nuclear technology, she said in a video interview. When asked if orders have been placed, Vivi said it was too early for that to have happened.
“We have to get a blessing from the president, and of course, we have to talk with international partners. I think, very long journey,” she said.
Nuclear power plants have been a controversial topic in Indonesia as the country is prone to earthquakes.
Thirty countries, nine of which are in Asia, use nuclear power for electricity generation, data from energy think tank Ember shows. Indonesia, a country of over 275 million people, accounts for the lion’s share of increasing coal use for power generation in South-East Asia.
More than half of its current capacity is powered by coal and clean energy sources including hydropower account for less than 15%. The country, however, plans to offer international investors opportunities to build 75 gigawatts of renewable power over the next 15 years. But funding remains an issue.
Indonesia was promised US$20bil as part of the G7’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) unveiled in 2022, but very little money has been disbursed and that slow progress has hampered its efforts to cut emissions.
Vivi said JETP has so far approved grants for 33 decarbonisation projects in Indonesia worth US$217.8mil, including one that would increase the number of electric vehicles in Bali. Another six projects worth US$78.4mil are currently under discussion, she said.
Loans of up to US$6.1bil have been approved, mainly to upgrade the national grid and develop the renewable energy sector, she added.
The official said the interest rates for the loans have yet to be finalised. Rates on loans have been a contentious topic, with Indonesian officials blaming Western nations for not providing concessional funding under JETP.
The JETP projects have yet to be implemented, she said, adding that funding will start next year which is when Indonesia’s next five-year economic planning cycle will begin. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
