Asian nuclear industry leaders gathered at the plenary session of Nuclear Power Asia 2016 on 20–21 January in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rosatom views the Asian market as its strategic priority. This is a region where there are operating VVER-based nuclear power plants built by Rosatom (in China and India), with a few other currently under construction in these countries. NPP construction projects are also underway in Vietnam and Bangladesh. Moreover, Rosatom’s subsidiaries provide nuclear fuel cycle products and services to Japan and South Korea.
Among top officials present at the conference were Djarot Wisnubroto, Head of the Indonesian National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), Jazi Eko Istiyanto, Chairman of the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency of Indonesia (BAPETEN), Lakshitha Jayawardana, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB), and Mohd Zamzam Bin Jaafar, CEO of Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation (MNPC). Rosatom was represented by Yegor Simonov, head of Rosatom’s representative office in Southeast Asia.
The speakers were united in their certainty that an effort to maintain the current industrial growth by Asian countries, particularly ASEAN members, would need to diversify sources of power and view nuclear energy as a promising source of electricity in terms of generation costs and environmental effects.
“A prerequisite for the nuclear industry development in the region is a conflict between the ever rising demand for electric power and new environmental standards regularly adopted by national governments,” Simonov said. According to him, Indonesia has set a goal of a 30% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030 while having plans to install 35 GW of new capacity by 2019.
He also noted that the civil nuclear industry was not just a source of power for Southeast Asia, but a way to the new level of development. Nuclear power stations create new jobs in emerging nuclear countries and give momentum to the development of mechanical engineering, education and research.
“According to public opinion surveys, 75% of Indonesian population supports the national nuclear industry development. This is why nuclear power can become a significant part of the government’s ambitious plans to increase generation capacity in the country,” he added.
Nikolai Kodochigov, a chief reactor designer from OKBM Afrikantov, presented a report on the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology and prospects of its application.
Other representatives of Rosatom spoke about its national and international projects aimed at improving public acceptance of nuclear power and staff training for the nuclear industry.
Nuclear Power Asia is a platform to discuss the latest challenges, achievements and trends in the Asian nuclear industry. The annual conference brings together more than 300 top national officials from executive and regulatory bodies and top managers of operating companies and industry vendors. The event is regularly attended by representatives of international organizations, such as the IAEA and World Nuclear Association, and the academic community.
