Nuclear Power Plant and Its Prospect in Indonesia

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AND ITS PROSPECT IN INDONESIA

Perhaps still many among us who had a negative perception about nuclear energy, because not to be denied that the introduction to the nuclear era preceded by events of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. After that, nuclear becomes synonymous with horror and destruction. It is further exacerbated when the world entered the Cold War era with the race of nuclear weapons between the two superpowers countries, the Soviet Union and the United States, where the number of nuclear weapons in their arsenal enough to destroy the world many times around.

In 1954, history has been made when the nuclear fission technology approved for the commercial use and the first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the world operated at Obninsk, Russia. For the first time the high demand of electrical energy can be fulfilled, with the low price too. But not long, people fear of nuclear energy was further aggravated by the accidents at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, then Chernobyl and the last was in Fukushima. But as it happens in the world of aviation, where there is a term “the advance of aviation gained one accident at a time”, as well as in the peaceful use of nuclear technology, such as nuclear power plant. Safety features in the latest generation of an NPP are learned from accidents that occurred previously. Even the cost needed to build a nuclear power plant is mostly used to build the safety and security system, for example the containment building that enclose the nuclear reactor which prevents the release of radioactive material to the environment in the case of accident, the design of this containment has to be assessed to avoid or mitigate the effect of a large commercial airplane crash, can be imagined how much extra cost are needed to build the containment that in other type of plants are not absolutely necessary.

The principle of electricity generation at nuclear power plants is actually not much different from other steam powered plants where the high pressure steam drive the turbine which in turn drive the generator to produce electricity. The main difference is where the energy to heat water into steam comes from. In conventional plants, the heat energy comes from the burning of fossil fuel in the boiler. While in nuclear power plant, the heat energy comes from the results of nuclear fission chain reaction in the reactor. The nuclear fission of Uranium atoms generates very large amount of heat energy. This tremendous energy should be controlled to prevent a core meltdown accident. This is the feature that distinguishes the atom bomb from a nuclear power plant, in the atom bomb the heat energy is allowed to increase rapidly to produce a tremendous explosion. The controlling device technology in nuclear reactors already experiencing a rapid progress, if any reactor becomes unstable, the control system mechanism will automatically shut down the reactor safely.

When viewed from the side of the plant footprint compared with the energy that is produced, nuclear power plants are still occupying the top order when compared with other plant types, because a reactor capable of generating 1000 MW electricity power only occupy about 2 kilometers square, generally in an NPP site, consist of more than one reactor. If compared with coal then the amount of energy that is produced by 1 gram of uranium equivalent to 2.5 tons of coal, and because of NPP only refueling Uranium every two years, it is able to provide electricity to the public almost all time around. NPP has been proven as the source of electricity that is stable and reliable.

In nuclear fission, Uranium atoms split into lighter elements. Uranium is a radioactive metal that is obtained from the process of mining, mainly in Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia. After the process of nuclear fission, the rest of the material are still radioactive, which is then called a nuclear waste, they must be stored in the nuclear waste storage facility which is often called spent fuel pool, the water in the pool serves as a coolant and radiation shielding. The nuclear waste storage facility is generally located underground and has a thick wall that is made of metal and concrete to prevent the leakage of radiation. Generally nuclear waste is the main source of the reluctance of many people to use nuclear power plants. However, the actual amount of nuclear waste which is generated during the operation of nuclear power plants is very small, for example, during the 60 years of nuclear power plants operation in the UK, produces 2150 m³ of high level waste, or only about 1 percent of the total volume of the entire radioactive waste in the UK.

Today there are 440 nuclear reactors which operates in 30 countries around the world. One of the largest nuclear energy producer is France, which is generates about 379.1 TWh, or about 71.6 percent of the total electricity generation in this country, which is the largest percentage in the world. It is also makes France able to export around 38 TWh of electricity to neighboring country in 2017.

At the moment Indonesia is not yet has a nuclear power plant, but it already has three nuclear research reactors which are devoted as a means of research, irradiation, education and exercise in the field of nuclear reactor, not intended for the generation of electricity. One of them is Reaktor Serba Guna GA Siwabessy, located in Serpong, Tangerang, Jawa Barat, inaugurated by President Soeharto on 20 August 1987 which is the largest nuclear reactor in Southeast Asia measuring to 30 MW. Two other research reactors are each located in Bandung and Yogyakarta. All three reactors are operated by the National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN).

Where is the position of Indonesia in the NPP issue? When viewed from the electricity needs, obviously Indonesia still need additional electricity supply. When seen from the human resources technical capability as well as regulation and oversight in the nuclear energy, Indonesia can be seen as capable, but the consideration of building a nuclear power plant involves many aspects such as politics, economy, social and environmental. It require the thorough study and of course the willingness of the whole party that is involved in it.