The establishment of the Nuclear Energy Program Implementation Organization (NEPIO) to accelerate the development of nuclear power plants (PLTN) in Indonesia is awaiting approval from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), a senior official said, Djoko Siswanto, Secretary-General of the National Energy Council (DEN), stated that the formation of NEPIO is a requirement from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for Indonesia to develop PLTN.
“IAEA’s recommendation for the commercialization of nuclear power requires us to meet 19 conditions, 16 have been met, and three are pending, one of which is NEPIO,” Djoko said told a press conference on Wednesday.
The Acceleration Team for PLTN Development will be held responsible to the president for preparing and implementing the construction of PLTN to support the achievement of the 2060 energy transition and net-zero emissions target. The team will be led by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif. DEN will report the organizational structure of the nuclear agency to President Jokowi.
“In the plenary session led by President Jokowi, we will present and also ask for guidance, with pak Luhut as the chairman and ESDM Minister Arifin Tasrif,” Djoko said.
Furthermore, NEPIO members will include chairman of the National Research and Innovation Agency ( BRIN) board of directors, ministers or heads of relevant institutions, DEN members, and the chairman of the nuclear energy advisory board. Meanwhile, the NEPIO structure will also accommodate the daily deputy chairman or coordinator of the team overseeing Subcommittee 1 for strategic, planning, and regional affairs. Subcommittee 2 will be responsible for permits, construction, and operation, while Subcommittee 3 will handle institutional and community relations.
“Nuclear power needs to get response from the public,” Djoko emphasized.
Regarding the commercialization of PLTN, the government is accelerating the target for commercial operation to enhance the share of renewable energy in the energy mix. In the draft revision of Government Regulation (PP) No. 79/2014 on National Energy Policy (KEN), which has been completed by DEN, the target for the commercial operation of PLTN is accelerated to 2032.
Previously, PLTN was targeted to be commercially operational by 2039 in the national carbon zero emissions roadmap. Based on the new roadmap, DEN sets the target for renewable energy in the range of 19 percent to 21 percent by 2030. At that time, the government plans to stop importing gasoline and LPG.
Furthermore, the renewable energy mix will be increased to 25 percent to 26 percent by 2035, assuming the first nuclear power plant will be operational by 2032 with an installed capacity of 250 megawatts (MW).
