Jimmy Hitipeuw | Selasa, 12 April 2011 | 07:10 WIB

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official said Indonesia has large potentials to develop nuclear energy in the future."Indonesia has long experience in using nuclear energy. It also has many nuclear scientists and potentials to have good nuclear energy in the future," Kwaku Aning, deputy for technical cooperation to the IAEA director general, said at the National Atomic Energy Board (BATAN) here on Monday.

Kwaku Aning is in Indonesia to open the 33rd meeting of the Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) National Representatives in Bali on April 12-15. The meeting is expected to be attended by heads of nuclear energy agencies from 17 countries. Admittedly, nuclear power plants had the potentials to generate up to thousands of megawatts needed to improve the living standard of a country.

Compared to other energy, the use of nuclear energy also helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the use of nuclear energy entailed high risks, he said. Despite the high risks, nuclear power plants gave priority to the principles of safety. Therefore, according to Kwaku Aning, all efforts covering regulations, construction activities, operations must be tightly directed towards the principles.

Meanwhile, Batan Chairman Hudi Hutowo said through the RCA IAEA Indonesia had so far received technical assistance including nuclear experts, and instruments in various fields related to nuclear energy including the health, food, hydrology, industrial and environment sectors. Asked about the follow-up to the government’s plan to develop nuclear power plant, he said the question should be addressed to the National Energy Council (DEN).

He said BATAN did not have the authority to decide the plan. But it was only tasked with preparing nuclear technology and human resources. He also denied allegations that the Indonesian people were not able to operate nuclear power plants because they had a bad character, such as stupid, lazy or careless

Sumber:kompas