BABEL STILL SURVEYED FOR PLTN

Jakarta Forum - Pangkalpinang, Head of the Bangka Belitung (Babel) provincial mining agency Noor Nedi said the National Nuclear Agency (Batan) has only started a survey of the construction of a nuclear power plant (PLTN)in the province.

"Currently Babel is being surveyed by Batan for a feasibility study of a nuclear platform, making an analysis of potential mineral resources for building a PLTN," he said here Monday.

He said Batan has the competence to build a PLTN, not the energy and mineral resources minister, because Batan has the planning.

"Batan has the authority to plan the construction of a PLTN, while the energy and mineral resources minister draws out an energy policy on a national basis, like on interconnection transmissions and the national network," he said.

"Babel is very strategically located for a PLTN as it lies in the center of Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan," he said.

He said currently Batan is only conducting a survey of Babel along with East Kalimantan, Banten, Muria in Central Java, where PLTNs may be built, Noor Nedi said.

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