Indonesia Has Produced Nuclear Fuel since 1990s: BRIN

TheIndonesia.id - The Nuclear Energy Research Organization (ORTN) of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said Indonesia can independently manufacture nuclear fuel for the GA Siwabessy Multipurpose Reactor located in the Serpong Nuclear Area in South Tangerang, Banten.

"PT INUKI (PT Nuclear Industry Indonesia) has been able to make its own fuel since the 1990s. This means that in terms of the ability to fabricate fuel, Indonesia is already very capable," said nuclear agency main expert ORTN BRIN Suryantoro in a written statement received by ANTARA on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

Suryantoro said that in GA Siwabessy Multipurpose Reactor operation for more than 30 years, there has never been an accident or problems so far. This shows that the fuel produced by the nation's children is following the standards.

For daily operations, the GA Siwabessy Multipurpose Reactor operates with a large capacity of 15 MW for efficiency. This capacity is sufficient to carry out several activities including research activities, production of isotopes for the industrial sector to health, material testing, and testing, and scientific experiments.

"Run entirely by Indonesian experts, the nuclear reactors managed by ORTN have been functioning for decades safely and safely without experiencing any incidents," he said.

He explained that the security process in nuclear reactors uses a layered safety system to minimize the impact of damage to humans and the surrounding environment.

BRIN's ORTN is also capable of managing radioactive waste from all over Indonesia. The radioactive waste, among others, comes from industrial activities that use radioactive substances, such as Cobalt 60, Caesium-137, and Crypton-85 as well as waste originating from the use of radioactive substances in hospitals, particularly from the field of nuclear medicine.

Suryantoro said that nuclear energy use in Indonesia is currently optimal, especially in the non-energy sector, namely health, industry, agriculture, and accelerators for electrical energy. In the health sector, nuclear technology can be used for the therapy and diagnosis of cancer that has been used in hospitals.

In agriculture, superior varieties such as soybeans and rice are fetched. In the industrial sector, the use of nuclear technology is related to the use of radioactive substances.