Fifty-three years have passed since the operation of the first nuclear power plant in 1954. Nuclear energy now supplies 16 percent of all electricity generated in the world. This percentage has been roughly stable since the Chernobyl accident in 1986, indicating that nuclear power has grown at the same rate as total global electricity. Twenty-six reactors are now at different stages of construction in 11 countries, most of them in Asia.

Nuclear power plants are most attractive where energy demand growth is rapid, energy supply security is a priority, alternative resources are scarce, or reducing air pollution and GHG emissions is mandated. Nineteen out of 26 new plants will be located either in China, the Republic of Korea, Japan or India, where those factors are most urgent.

For similar reasons, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand recently announced their intentions to go nuclear. This raises the question of safety for many observers, especially after the recent quake struck nuclear plants in Niigata, Japan. Is there some system to ensure that they all live up to a common, satisfactory level of safety?

To answer these, one can look at the actions taken by the nuclear community after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The following measures have been enforced worldwide to ensure safety.

First, the application of strict regulations and oversights at internal, national and international level.

Second, the selection of capable, regularly retrained and certified operators.

Third, the use of inherently safe and proven nuclear power plants with defense-in-depth safety.

At the international level, a global safety regime was instituted to promote a common level of safety. This “regime” is based on binding international conventions, accepted safety standards and an extensive system of peer reviews. Two conventions — one on the Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and a second on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency — were developed just a few months after the Chernobyl accident.

A Convention on Nuclear Safety was developed later, requiring the parties to report every three years on the safety status of their nuclear power plants according to detailed guidelines; to identify any known deficiencies; and to take the necessary actions to eliminate them.

These reports are critically reviewed among the parties and general recommendations are derived at a periodic review meeting. Indonesia has become a party to all these conventions, in addition to the NPT and the Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement. And indeed, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has commended Indonesia on its compliance with the international agreements and conventions.

At the national level, the Nuclear Regulatory Agency of Indonesia (Bapeten) was formed following the enactment of the Law on Nuclear Energy in 1997. The national nuclear watchdog was separated from promotional body (Batan) and other users to ensure the safety of nuclear installations.

China and India started their nuclear programs worse off than Indonesia in terms of safety culture and discipline. Much like the Republic of Korea, which started its nuclear program in the 1970s when its nuclear human resources were less capable than those Indonesia had at that time. And now, as we face global warming and energy scarcity, our scientists and engineers are in a much better shape to continue with the idea.

To answer the question on operators’ discipline and ability, new standards for the certification and training of operators have been developed in recognition of the importance of the human factor in nuclear safety.

This has resulted in a decreasing number of unwanted nuclear plant shutdowns in the past 17 years. And Indonesia, with over 42 years of experience in safely operating its research reactors in Bandung, Yogyakarta and Serpong, has shown that its carefully selected operators should have no problem adapting to this system. The IAEA reported in 2006 that it had trained more than 100 Indonesian nuclear scientists and engineers, some of whom have become trainers elsewhere in Asia.

But what has been done to ensure the safety of nuclear plants in areas prone to earthquakes? The pursuit of a nuclear project is only authorized after detailed studies are conducted to identify all important potential physical threats to a site.

These include maximum conditions such as rain, wind, flood levels, and extreme natural phenomena such as earthquakes, cyclones and tsunamis. When the nuclear plant is operated, site parameters are constantly monitored and automatic actions or safety procedures are in place to put the plant in a safe condition if any of the parameters are exceeded.

The example of Taiwan and, more recently, Japan, as countries in the ring of fire with a high rate of earthquakes shows that with proper design, nuclear is the safest installation that exists. And Indonesia should not be an exception to it.

Our Yogyakarta research reactor stood strong without any safety-related damage after it was hit by a 5.9-magnitude quake less than 30 kilometers from its epicenter in May 2006.

However, the opposition of some of the local people in Cape Muria is an issue to be dealt with more seriously through a sound public information and education program established by Jakarta, since, according to our national law, nuclear issues must be dealt with by the central government.

The first plant to be built in Cape Muria, Central Java, is a turnkey project, which could be owned and operated by foreign entities with minor local participation. In this way, the fear of corruption, which could compromise safety, can be minimized.

The safety of a nuclear plant is not merely the business of an operator in one country. It is always under international scrutiny.