The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has entered into a collaboration with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) for the inventory, exploration, and preparation of mining business license areas (WIUP) and state reserve areas (WPN) for radioactive minerals, rare earth metals, and other minerals.
The collaboration involves the Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive Waste Technology Research Center (PRTDBBNLR) at BRIN and the Mineral Resources, Coal, and Geothermal Center (PSDMBP) of the Geological Agency at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Syaiful Bakhri, Head of PRTDBBNLR, said that their expertise included inventorying and exploring uranium, thorium, and associated minerals.
The collaboration aims to synergize BRIN’s capabilities with ESDM in terms of human resources, infrastructure, and downstream applications of research results.
BRIN has conducted research on the exploration of radioactive minerals, including methodological applications. They have mapped areas containing uranium, thorium, and other strategic minerals.
Syaiful explained that two research groups at PRTDBBNLR are involved in this collaboration. The first is the Nuclear Geological Technology Research Group, which uses nuclear technology to search for uranium and thorium.
They aim to inventory the potential resources of uranium and thorium in Indonesia, producing data on other mineral potentials.
The second group focuses on Processing Nuclear Raw Materials Technology, researching the processing of uranium, thorium, and rare earth metals from various rock types in Indonesia.
BRIN has inventoried the potential of around 89 thousand tons of uranium, 140 thousand tons of thorium, and rare earth metals in Indonesia.
This collaboration provides crucial data for ESDM, as rare earth metals are essential in the development of high-tech industries and technologies.
The research center has set targets for scientific papers, publications, patents, and licenses, with external funding being obtained and managed for the projects.
