Indonesia readies 28 sites for planned nuclear power plants

Indonesia is preparing 28 locations for nuclear power development as it pursues a target of connecting at least 500 MW to the grid in 2032-2034, Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung said on 22 October 2026.

At the ministry’s Jakarta office, Yuliot said discussions with PT PLN (Persero) were under way to develop national nuclear energy plans. He also referred to additional sites and an earlier proposal involving floating nuclear generation.

Yuliot put the construction period for a nuclear plant at 7 to 10 years, saying site preparation therefore needed to start early. In his assessment, new and renewable energy alone could not supply the large amounts of electricity required in some regions, while nuclear plants could provide steady, sustained output.

Government site assessments carried out through BATAN/BRIN examined seismic conditions, peak ground acceleration, volcanic hazards and surface faults. All 28 surveyed areas were judged to have nuclear development potential, with combined capacity estimated at up to 70 GW. The Sumatra and Kalimantan electricity systems are earmarked for the initial phase.

During a parliamentary hearing in late August 2025, Darmawan Prasodjo, who was then PLN’s president director, said the 2025-2034 electricity supply plan provided for 500 MW of nuclear generation using Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. A draft covering the period to 2040 envisaged around 7 GW.

Darmawan also sought a stronger legal framework for nuclear development, particularly through the proposed revision of Law No. 30 of 2009 on Electricity.