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Indonesia to build four nuclear power plants by 2025

JAKARTA, Mar 12, 2008 -- Xinhua

 The Indonesian government plans to build four nuclear power plants by
2025 to meet electricity demand, an official said Wednesday.

"If one nuclear power plant can produce 1,200 megawatts of
electricity, we need four plants by 2025 to meet our demand," State Minister
for Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman was quoted by the national
Antara news agency as saying.

"We have surveyed a number of sites for the nuclear plants including
in northern Java and southern Kalimantan," he said during a visit to a state
university in the Central Java town of Surakarta.

Kusmayanto said nuclear power plants had to be realized because the
plan was included in the 2004-2025 development planning.

The government plans to build the first nuclear power plant on the
slope of Mt. Muria in Jepara, Central Java. The plant is expected to be
operational in 2016 despite strong oppositions from local residents and
environment activists.

"We have to start the construction this year. Otherwise, we will be
behind schedule," Kusmayanto said.

Indonesia currently has three nuclear reactors for scientific purposes
dispersed on Java island.