Study shows Bangka Belitung possible for nuclear power plant location

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PANGKAl PINANG - Results of a pre-feasibility study of Bangka Belitung province shown that the region was feasible for a nuclear power plant construction as it was not natural disaster-prone, a local official said on Monday. "The study by the National Nuclear Agency (Batan) in 2009 to 2011 in West Bangka and South Bangka districts concludes that the region`s geographic, geological, geo-technic, volcanological and tectonic aspects are good compared with those in the other regions in Java and Sumatra, the Head of Energy Division of the Bangka Belitung Mining and Energy Office M Taufik said.

He explained the pre-feasibility study would be continued with a feasibility study in 2012 until 2013 so that the data obtained were more valid and detailed to assess the feasibility of a nuclear power plant construction there.

"However the final decision on whether the region is feasible or not for the nuclear power plant construction will be in the hands of the government," Taufik said.

According to him the local people`s refusal to the study activities so far has occurred because they thought construction had already begun. "People reject because they have received wrong information from incompetent parties who know nothing about the procedures of nucler power plant construction," he said.

A nuclear power plant construction is a very long time activity covering feasibility study, site construction and other phases which need 15 to 20 years to carry out. "Currently boring has been carried out in eight sites in West Bangka district and three others in South Bangka and test balloons are being flown to record meteorological and other data," Taufik said.

He said based on the study data on 17 aspects would be collected such as on topography, geography, geology, geophysics, geotechnical and seismic aspects, volcanoes, visionography, hydrology, meteorology, offshore, and social-cultural aspect using expensive and sophisticated equipment.