Governor of Bangka Belitung Rustam Effendi supports the Indonesian government’s plan to build a nuclear power plant in the province to overcome power shortages, Antara news agency reported. The Bangka and Belitung islands form a province which is located off Sumatra.

“Our demand for electricity is quite high. We are all aware of the power cuts that often occur. So I support the development of the power plant (in the province),” he said in Pangkalpinang yesterday.

Electricity is one of the primary factors that can boost the growth of a region. The availability of electric power is the key to a region’s economic growth, he remarked.

“If we have ample electric power, many investors will venture into Bangka Belitung,” the governor affirmed.

Citing results of a study conducted by experts, Rustam stated that the cost of electricity generated by nuclear power plants is far cheaper than that generated by other power plants.

“So why shouldn’t we support it? The problem is that the development of nuclear power plants has not been incorporated into the national spatial layout,” he pointed out.

When asked about the risks posed by nuclear power plants, Rustam noted that the central government had conducted a mature study prior to formulating the plan to establish the nuclear power plant.

“A study has been conducted to that effect. Also, our nuclear power plant will use technology of generation 14, while Japan now uses the technology of generation 6,” he revealed.

Geographically, Bangka Belitung is not an earthquake-prone area and does not face the threat of the disaster. Besides, it has abundant resources to generate nuclear power, he added.

- Bernama