Indonesia to build two nuclear power plants at Bangka-Belitung

Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung (ANTARA News) - Bangka Belitung (BB) province is to build two nuclear power plants with a combined installed capacity of 16,600 MW in the near future, an official said.

"Two nuclear power plants will be built to meet the province`s electricity needs," said Bangka Belitung Governor Eko Maulana Ali.

One of the two plants would have a capacity of 10,000 MW and be located in Muntok in West Bangka district and the other one, with a capacity of 600 MW, at Permis village in South Bangka district, he said.

Both locations were selected by the National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) after having conducted thorough studies since 2009.

"These sites have good and proper soil conditions for nuclear power plants, and are also close to the coast, a fact that reduces transmission costs," he said.

Eko said the huge power capacities would be sold and used to meet electricity needs in Babel province itself and in Bali and Sumatra.

Bangka Belitung was considered a proper location for nuclear power plants after it proved to meet 17 requirements determined by the national atomic agency.

"The nuclear power plant projects are a regional government initiative which have yet to be finalized and approved by the central government, " said Eko.

In the meantime, the regional government is familiarizing the public about the nuclear power plant projects pending the central government`s clearance.

"This is actually a sensitive issue as many people still do not know about the benefits of nuclear power plants and only tend to emphasize their possible hazards to human health," he said.

Nuclear power plants were now being widely used in countries such as Japan, Korea, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia and many more developed European countries.

In fact Japan had a nuclear power plant in the middle of a city despite its residents traumatic memory of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs in World War II. (*)

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1293077537/indonesia-to-build-two-nuclear-power-plants-at-babel