Jakarta, INTI - Indonesia's hopes of having a Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN) were further strengthened by the signing of a collaboration agreement between the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and the Nuclear Reactor Technology Research Center (PRTRN) of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) on Tuesday, May 12. The collaboration focuses on developing small and micro nuclear reactor designs to support the national energy transition towards the Net Zero Emission 2060 target.
Topan Setiadipura, Head of the PRTRN BRIN, stated that the collaboration with the UGM Center for Energy Studies is aimed to encourage the use of nuclear energy as part of the national energy mix, synergizing with other energy sources.
"Our energy needs are large, but they are distributed into small needs in many places. This is the perfect solution for mini or micro nuclear reactor technology," said Topan.
He added that the main goal of the collaboration is to produce a licensed reactor design that can be used for real national needs, not just as a pilot project.
The person in charge of the collaboration from BRIN, Dany Mulyana, explained that the reactor being developed is a small and micro reactor fueled by uranium dioxide with a maximum enrichment level of 20 percent based on TRISO technology. The reactor is designed to produce steam or hot gas that can be used for various cogeneration applications, such as hydrogen production and seawater desalination.
Dany explained that the reactor design has the flexibility to reach a maximum power level of 40 MWt, including microreactors with a power of under 1 MWt. BRIN is also continuing to develop the Experimental Power Reactor design into a small reactor, the PeLUIt-40.
"We are disseminating this design to universities so that it can be validated by lecturers and researchers, as well as studied by students," he explained.
The development of the conceptual reactor design is carried out through various research stages, starting with literature reviews, determining initial design specifications, computational simulations, and identifying the needs for laboratory facilities, software, hardware, and human resources.
Increasing Involvement of Academics and Students
Dany hopes that this collaboration will generate validation data for the reactor design developed by BRIN and encourage the involvement of academics and students in the development of national nuclear technology.
Selo, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at UGM, stated that Indonesia has long awaited the arrival of a PLTN since the UGM Nuclear Engineering Program was established in 1977. However, the realization of the PLTN construction faced challenges, particularly in terms of policy and political dynamics.
Nevertheless, he assessed that Indonesia's technological capabilities and human resources in the nuclear sector continue to develop.
"Our human resources are considered capable not only of operating PLTN, but also of developing reactor designs and other supporting technologies," said Selo.
The collaboration between BRIN and the Faculty of Engineering of UGM is expected to be a strategic step to strengthen Indonesia's readiness to enter the nuclear energy era while strengthening synergy between universities and research institutions in supporting national technological independence.
Conclusion
BRIN and UGM signed a collaboration agreement to develop small and micro nuclear reactors. The TRISO-based reactor, with a capacity of up to 40 MWt, is expected to meet the energy needs in Indonesia. The reactor can be used for cogeneration, such as hydrogen production and seawater desalination. This collaboration also aims to produce a licensed reactor design, involve academics and students in technology validation, and strengthen Indonesia's readiness towards the use of a national nuclear power plant.
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