Jakarta. A Russian diplomat said Friday that Moscow could help Indonesia safely generate nuclear power, as debate over its safety persists. 

Coal-reliant Indonesia aims to have its first nuclear power plant by 2032 to cut dependence on fossil fuels. Russia — a major nuclear operator — has repeatedly expressed interest in investing. When President Prabowo Subianto visited the Kremlin last month, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin pitched nuclear energy cooperation opportunities. To this day, Moscow remains hopeful that the deal can materialize one day, according to Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov.

“Nuclear energy could be one of the very promising areas in our bilateral ties,” Tolchenov told BTV.

Tolchenov pointed out the “misunderstandings” surrounding nuclear energy in Asia, which he said were understandable following the Fukushima disaster.

“But we [Russia] ensure that the technologies we provide are proven, safe, and efficient,” the envoy said.

Tolchenov went on to say that nuclear power — particularly the small modular reactors and floating power stations — can be a “practical solution” for Indonesia, as they can reach different parts of the archipelago. Small modular reactors’ generating capacity is about one-third of that of traditional ones. As the name suggests, a floating power station is located on a platform at sea.

Russia is also willing to assist in the human capital aspect. In another move to further convince Jakarta, Tolchenov said that Indonesia would need a “strong energy basis” if it wanted to achieve the targeted annual economic growth of 8%.

Russia is home to the world’s first floating nuclear power station: the Akademik Lomonosov. State-run nuclear firm Rosatom operates the station, which has two reactor units that can generate up to 70 megawatts of electricity. Nuclear makes up 19% of Russian electricity. Rosatom has scored nuclear projects across the globe, including China, Bangladesh, and Hungary. Local news outlets wrote that Rosatom had submitted proposals to the Indonesian government. 

Early this year, the government revealed that a presidential regulation on the Nuclear Energy Program Implementation Organization was already waiting for Prabowo’s signature. This body will be in charge of coordinating the nuclear plant construction. 

At home, Southeast Asia's biggest economy has made some progress in its nuclear power partnership, although not with Moscow. Senior minister Airlangga Hartarto, not long ago, revealed that Indonesia had wrapped up a US-backed feasibility study on nuclear energy. PLN Indonesia Power — a subsidiary of the state utility firm — is conducting the study using technologies from the Oregon-based nuclear firm NuScale. The partnership — which explores the establishment of a small modular reactor in West Kalimantan — also involves a subsidiary of the Texas-based Fluor and Japan’s JGC.

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