JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Indonesia's Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) on Tuesday announced that the country is ready to operate nuclear power plants as soon as constructed.

"Let me emphasize here that Indonesian human resources will be ready by the time nuclear power plants are constructed in Indonesia," said As Natio Lasman, Bapeten chief .

In addition, Lasman said that the performance of Indonesian nuclear experts was already acknowledged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). There are seven Indonesians working as supervisors in IAEA.

Sri Setiawati, deputy research and technology minister, said that Indonesia is the most ready to build a nuclear power plant among the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members.

"However, Indonesia still lags behind Malaysia which will start building a nuclear power plant by 2012," added Setiawati. "Indonesia has an adequate expertise, experts, materials and technology in the nuclear field."

The main concern for Indonesian authorities is the fear among the communities in regards to the possible presence of nuclear power plants. Lasman said that such mentality is a consequence from the lack of information.

"Nuclear energy is an energy that can replace fossil energy which is widely in use nowadays, if the utilization is in accordance with strict regulation and control," Lasman remarked. "Fossil energy is depleting fast in the recent years."

There are currently three nuclear reactors managed in the South Asian country, in Yogyakarta, Bandung (West Java) and Serpong (Tangerang). In 2006, an earthquake struck Yogyakarta but the nuclear reactors in the region were in safe condition, even though the buildings around it were destroyed.

"The most important thing for Indonesia in its plan to build nuclear power plants are connected to the correct choice of the locations as well as the supporting infrastructures that endure earthquakes and tsunamis," Lasman concluded.

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