The central control room of a nuclear power plant. (Photo:Shutterstock)Jakarta (VNA) –Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has signed a regulation that detailsnew safety and security requirements for businesses seeking to mine nuclearmaterials in the country, The Jakarta Post reported.
Government Regulation No.52/2022, which came into effect on December 12, requires businesses to completea safety analysis before beginning to mine for nuclear materials. This includesa feasibility study, a design and construction plan for the mine, as well asemergency responses and countermeasures in case of a nuclear accident. Inaddition, businesses are required to manage their nuclear waste and conductradiation exposure training programmes.
Mining firms are also askedto commit, in a formal document, that they will not work in service of thedevelopment of nuclear arms. They must submit a business and development planand regularly provide authorities with an updated inventory of nuclearmaterials mined and imports of any special equipment.
Those that fail to complywith the safety and security procedures will face administrative sanctions,ranging from written reprimands and administrative fines to licenserevocations.
The new regulation comes amonth after Jokowi amended a regulation relating to the Nuclear EnergyRegulatory Agency’s (Bapeten) non-tax revenue sources. Accordingly, Bapeten is allowed to receivenon-tax revenue from administrative sanctions for businesses that do not complywith current regulations.
The new regulations may serve a government plan, which aims to build the country’s first nuclear power plant by 2040.
Indonesia currently has threenuclear reactors for research purposes. They are the 2-MW Triga 2000 reactor inBandung, West Java, the 30-MW GA Siwabessy reactor in Serpong, Banten, and the100-kW Kartini reactor in Yogyakarta./.
