Jakarta. The Indonesian government has wrapped up a feasibility study for its first nuclear energy project in collaboration with the United States and Japan, moving forward to the construction permit stage.

Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said nuclear power, particularly through Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology, could help support the country’s energy transition and long-term economic growth.

The planned SMR will have a capacity of 70 megawatts, with a faster construction timeline of about four years. However, Airlangga said the plant would not be ready for operation by 2029, as nuclear development typically requires seven to eight years.

“The MoUs with the US and Japan are already in place. The feasibility study has been finalized, and the government is now preparing for the construction licensing phase,” Airlangga said at the Green Initiative Conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

In March 2023, the United States and Indonesia announced a strategic partnership to help Jakarta develop its nuclear energy program, with a particular focus on SMR deployment. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed at the Indo-Pacific Business Dialogue in Bali. The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) also awarded a grant to PLN Indonesia Power to assess the technical and economic viability of a proposed nuclear plant in West Kalimantan.

Indonesia and Japan, meanwhile, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2015 on cooperation and exchanges in the field of nuclear energy. 

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia previously announced in May that the country aims to commission its first nuclear power plant by 2034. The facility, with a proposed capacity of up to 500 megawatts, will be spread across Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Canada and Russia are some of the other countries that have expressed interest in developing nuclear power plants in Indonesia, according to Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia. 

“About four or five countries have expressed interest in developing Indonesian nuclear energy. … We are still reviewing the proposals,” Bahlil told reporters in Jakarta in May

Indonesia's nuclear development plan falls under the Electricity Supply Work Plan (RUPTL) 2025–2034, which targets an additional 69.5 gigawatts of generation capacity from renewable and low-emission sources over the next decade. Nuclear power is expected to play a central role in diversifying the energy mix and ensuring long-term energy security, while supporting Indonesia’s net-zero emissions goal by 2060.

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