Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto stated that Indonesia plans to diversify its energy sources to respond to climate change and rising national energy demands. One of the steps includes building a nuclear power plant (PLTN) and developing a national nuclear reactor.
During the Indonesia-Brazil Business Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2024, Prabowo announced that the construction of PLTN is targeted to reach a capacity of 5 GW by 2040. This capacity will be part of the addition of 100 GW of new power plants over the next 15 years.
In addition, there is also a target of 75 GW for renewable energy-based power plants, including wind, geothermal, solar, and hydroelectric energy.
Regarding the Government’s plan for 2025-2029, the Head of the Nuclear Power Research Organization (ORTN) at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Dr. Syaiful Bakhri, stated that BRIN will support the preparation of Indonesia’s first nuclear power plant to achieve energy self-sufficiency.
“To realize Indonesia’s first nuclear power plant, hopefully by 2032, the government has targeted a 250-300 MW plant. The criterion is small modular reactors (SMR) that will be built in Indonesia,” he said during the National Nuclear Energy Ecosystem Innovation Discussion at the BJ Habibie Building, BRIN, Jakarta, on Thursday (December 5, 2024).
Projection of Workforce for PLTN and Nuclear Projects in Indonesia
Syaiful hopes that more young people will be interested in pursuing higher vocational and academic education in the field of nuclear energy and related areas.
“Not only focusing on the research side but also preparing the workforce,” he said.
Referring to the National Energy Policy (KEN) 2024, Syaiful stated that by 2040, there will be 7 PLTN units in Indonesia. With about 700 workers needed per unit, a total of 4,900 personnel will be required for the 7 PLTN units by 2040.
Syaiful added that workforce will also be needed for accelerator and medical nuclear projects by 2029. It is projected that at least 102 personnel will be required for 17 accelerators and 2,232 workers for 186 SPECT and 186 PET units by 2029.
SPECT or Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography is an imaging technique that measures gamma rays from radiotracer decay to produce images of blood flow to organs and tissues. This technique can be used to diagnose seizures, strokes, infections, spinal cord tumors, and others.
PET or Positron Emission Tomography is an imaging technique using radiotracers that emit positron particles to produce images of cell metabolism. PET can be used to diagnose cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.
The combination of PET and SPECT can provide more detailed images of cancer patients’ conditions. PET-CT scans, the combined name of both, use X-rays and radioactive substances to highlight the more active parts of the body.
Workforce Competency Preparation for Indonesia’s Nuclear Energy Sector
To strengthen the competency of the younger generation, the Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Laksana Tri Handoko, said that BRIN will also design programs for undergraduate graduates to follow S2-S3 research-based programs in the nuclear technology platform at BRIN. In addition, some will be prepared to join LPDP scholarships targeted for nuclear technology fields.
“In the future, how can students from ITB, UGM, ITERA, and other universities get involved in this? They can go directly to S2-S3 programs. Some will be sent with targeted scholarships from LPDP, because one of the focuses is nuclear technology,” he said during the presentation of the Siwabessy Award and GA Siwabessy Memorial Lecture by BRIN at the BJ Habibie Building, BRIN, Jakarta, on Thursday (December 5, 2024).
