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Country Profile 7: Indonesia
By Carolyn Taylor, Yana Feldman, Charles Mahaffey, Brett Marvin, Jack Boureston
FirstWatch International (FWI)
Overview
In 1954, Indonesia established the State Commission of Radioactivity and Atomic Energy and began to study the effects of radioactive fallout from U.S. thermonuclear weapons tests in the Pacific. When Indonesia began its nuclear programme, it had no interest in developing nuclear weapons. However, China’s first nuclear test in October 1964, while touted as a victory for the Socialist revolution, was also interpreted by the Indonesian leadership to mean that China was willing to assist like minded nations to develop weapons of their own. These plans were shelved once China made it clear that no weapons-related assistance would be forthcoming and terminated after the military coup that took place in 1966.
Despite the somewhat dubious circumstances under which Indonesia initiated its nuclear research programme, since the 1960’s open sources indicate that the nation has been wholly committed to researching and developing peaceful applications for its nuclear technology. Working under IAEA safeguards and in cooperation with established nuclear powers, Indonesia has endeavored to develop a viable indigenous fuel cycle. Faced with an impending energy shortage, which the World Bank says poses a serious threat to the country; Indonesia has redoubled its efforts to establish nuclear power production facilities. However, the issue of nuclear power production has proven contentious in Indonesia, with much of the population resistant to the construction of power facilities in densely populated areas. In the mid-1990’s, there were major protests over former technology minister Habibie’s proposal to build a nuclear power plant on the slopes of an active volcano. This has increased the appeal of alternative options, such as floating power reactors.
As Indonesia faced spiraling energy demands in 2000, the government intensified the drive toward nuclear power. After several feasibility studies, a site for the first nuclear power plant has finally been selected at Ujung Lemahabang, on the Muria peninsula in Java. Owing to the lack of the indigenous technology and manpower, foreign assistance remains essential to nuclear power development. In August 2003, Indonesia concluded a ten-year nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia that includes the construction of a research reactor and a power reactor. However, any power plant construction is not likely to start before 2010. This agreement may also include the provision of a floating nuclear power reactor which, owing to Indonesia geography and geology, could prove attractive. Additionally, Indonesia plans to build a nuclear power plant in East Java’s Madura in 2019. Open sources indicate that this plan, which is proving controversial, is the result a technical agreement between Indonesia, South Korea and 11 other countries forged under the auspices of the IAEA to jointly construct the 200 megawatt facility for about $200 million.(1) Indonesia is reportedly already using nuclear technology to power a desalinization plant in Madura.(2)
(1) One source estimates the output to be ~ 6,000 megawatts rather than 200 megawatts. ‘Indonesia revives plan to build nuclear power plant,’ AP Worldstream, 19 January 2004.
(2) I. D. Nugroho, ‘Nuclear technology being used in Madura to desalinate water,’ The Jakarta Post, 18 May 2004 [Online] http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20040518.D03; Grace Nirang, ‘A floating nuclear power plant?’ International Herald Tribune, 23 April 2003 [Online] http://www.iht.com/articles/94168.html.
Sources:
1. Cornejo, Robert M., ‘When Sukarno Sought the Bomb: Indonesian Nuclear Aspirations in the Mid-1960s,’ The Nonproliferation Review, Summer 2000,
2. Moore, Matthew, ‘Jakarta’s Nuclear Dream,’ The Age Online, 22 August 2003,
3. Mozley, Robert F., The Politics and Technology of Nuclear Proliferation, (Seattle: The University of Washington Press, 1998).
4. Poneman, Daniel, Nuclear Power in the Developing World, (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1982).
5. Soentono, Soedyartomo, ‘Nuclear Power Development in Indonesia,’ Energy Future and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the Asia/Pacific Region, 19th Annual Conference Industrial Liaison Program, Joonhong Ahn and William E. Kastenberg, eds., 12 March 1997,
6. Taylor, Jay, China and Southeast Asia: Peking’s Relations with Revolutionary Movements, (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1976).