Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Small Modular Reactors for Indonesia?

Coal accounts for around two-thirds of electricity generation in Indonesia, which targets net-zero by 2050. The government wants 40 to 54 gigawatts (GW) of the 400GW it projects will be generated nationwide by 2060 to come from nuclear sources. It hopes to kick-start capacity with a reactor in Kalimantan “by 2030 or 2032”, according to the energy minister. Currently, 29 potential locations have been identified for the construction of nuclear power plants.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_modular_reactor

 

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are nuclear fission reactors characterised by its compact, factory-built design and modular construction, making it smaller than traditional nuclear power plants and potentially easier to deploy. SMRs which have power output of up to 300 Megawatt electric (Mwe), are envisioned to vary in size according to configuration and can be used for various applications like electricity generation, process heat, and desalination. Many SMR designs incorporate advanced safety features and simplified designs, potentially make them safer to easier to operate. SMRs are explored for their potential to help decarbonize the energy mix, ensure grid stability with increasing renewables, and potentially offer more flexible and cost-effective energy solutions.

 

Environmentalists would like to see Indonesia focus more on meeting its clean energy targets with renewable sources. While hydroelectric accounts for over 7% of Indonesia’s electricity generation, solar and wind contribute tiny amounts and could be significantly ramped up, according to experts.

 

References:

Govt seeks to install small modular reactors, The Star, Energy, 29 May 2025

AI overview – small modular reactor

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