Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to analyze the public perceptions of Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan towards developing nuclear power plants (NPP) in Indonesia so that the Government gets input in choosing a suitable location to construct the first NPP in the future. Methods: The survey in Bangka Belitung was held in 2017, while in West Kalimantan in 2019. Quantitative research methods were carried out through face-to-face interviews. Using a total sample of 800 respondents for Bangka Belitung and 600 respondents for West Kalimantan gave a margin of error of ±1.8% at a confidence level of 95.0%. Findings: The Bangka Belitung residents, whose electricity has been met with relatively more minor disruption and blackouts, tended to reject nuclear power plants (51.75% support and 48.25% reject). On the other hand, due to constraints in fulfilling electricity needs and the sentiment factor of electricity imports from Malaysia, the West Kalimantan public supports the Indonesian nuclear power program (87.17% support and 12.83% reject). Furthermore, West Kalimantan is more likely to be the first location for NPPs. Novelty: For the first time, a study to compare people\'s perceptions of the two provinces was conducted. Interestingly, there are similarities in those two provinces, which tend to choose renewable energy if available over nuclear energy. As the support from the West Kalimantan public for the nuclear power plant is probably for pragmatic reasons, it is to be questioned if this support will remain sustainable if coal-fired power plants can soon solve the electricity problem in the area. Keywords: Nuclear Energy, Indonesia, Bangka Belitung, West Kalimantan, public survey
Highlights
The Government of Indonesia has for more than 40 years had a nuclear power plant (NPP) preparation program, but the NPP has not been realized until now
Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan are similar in that both are among the regions in the Indonesian archipelago relatively free of earthquakes and tsunami
The Government of Indonesia considers Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan Provinces as potential locations for building the first nuclear power plants in the future. Both locations fulfill the NPP construction’s seismological requirements to avoid earthquakes and tsunamis. This survey used a national nuclear power plant program theme, it was possible that respondents assumed that the nuclear power plant was associated with where they live, even without explicit mentions of the location
Summary
The Government of Indonesia has for more than 40 years had a nuclear power plant (NPP) preparation program, but the NPP has not been realized until now. Wisnubroto et al / Indian Journal of Science and Technology 2021;14(40):3014–3025 main reason to consider nuclear energy is that its current dependency on fossil energy sources is around 85%. Indonesia’s current population is more than 270 million people and increasing by 1.3% per year, and the average annual economic growth is above 5%(1). Solutions must be sought to meet energy needs according to these developments. Another consideration is that Indonesia has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 29-41% by 2030. There is no other way but to utilize low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear
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