Nuclear Power Plant 'Not Needed' in Indonesia

Head of Indonesia's state-run Electricity Company (PLN) Dahlan Iskan said that the country does not need nuclear power plants yet, local media reported here Thursday.

The comments follow a continued effort by the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) to push for the use of nuclear energy in Indonesia despite an international backlash due to the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan.

"Commercially, Indonesia does not need nuclear power plants yet," Dahlan was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying.

He said producing nuclear energy was more expensive than producing electricity from coal and gas. He said as well as coal and gas, which Indonesia had in abundance, other options included renewable energies, such as hydro and geothermal.

He did, however, say that it would be good for Indonesia to begin preparations for the possibility of using nuclear energy.

Batan is now focusing on the island of Batam as a proposed site for a nuclear power plant. Batam lies uncomfortably close to the major fault line that produced the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.