Utilizing Nuclear Power to Ensure Energy Security:

The Raise of Nuclear Power Plants

Maria M. Widhia Putri

IRE Defense 2 / 016201500049

Recently, many countries have been trying to develop nuclear power. Many of them
are aware that the energy generated using nuclear power has been effective for power plants or
electricity because a little amount of nuclear energy can activate power plants vigorously.
Nuclear power or nuclear energy, well-known as nukes, is basically an energy that is kept inside
an atom. The energy of nuclear will likely to be produced when there is a chemical reaction
enacted to the atom1.

In general, nuclear energy can be produced through two mechanisms; an atomic fission
and an amalgamation of several atoms through a fusion. A center of an atom that collides with
a particle (e.g. neutron) can split into two lighter atomic centers and produce other fused
particles. This process is known as nuclear fission. One of the examples of nuclear fission is
the absorption of neutron by uranium2.

Several natural resources, uranium for example, will go through a fission and produce
energy that can be utilized to heat up water until it evaporates. In other words, the energy
produced by nuclear reaction can be utilized to galvanize the process of evaporation. That is
one example of nuclear energy’s function. Another key thing to remember, it can also be
utilized to activate power plants. Power plants, in some ways, use energy generated from the
process of evaporation. From the definition above, nuclear energy, after going through a
process of reaction until it creates evaporation, can generate electricity.

Compare to making bombs or missile weapons, nuclear energy can be utilized for more
beneficial instances. That is to say, the reaction of nuclear fission must be controlled. A
controlled nuclear reaction can be enacted in a reactor whose safety and security have been
guaranteed, and which has been used for beneficial necessities such as research and generating
power plants.
The Potential of Nuclear Energy Resources in Indonesia

Indonesia is one of those countries which are trying to develop nuclear power, namely
for its power plants – not to mention Indonesia’s power plants have been in a major crisis of
energy3. There are still a lot of districts in Indonesia that are in need for electricity due to the
incapability of its power plants to distribute energy sufficiently, even to small districts. The
aftermath of insufficient petroleum energy has forced Indonesia to endeavor the country to find
and develop new energy sources.

In line with Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto, Chairman of National Nuclear Energy Agency
(in Bahasa means Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional, or famous with BATAN), Lestari reported
that Indonesia is one of those countries which are rich for uranium4. He asserted that there have
been 78,000 tons of uranium potential identified in several districts of West Borneo, Bangka-
Belitung and West Sulawesi.

With this in mind, one of the alternatives for the sake of energy in Indonesia is nuclear
itself. Even though the utilization of nuclear power is sort of challenging to the environment –
the impact could be dangerous – nuclear power is one of the alternatives that should be
accounted.

Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear fission can be

utilized for power plants in
a safe, secure and controlled
reactor which produces
electricity5. This kind of
installation of power plants
or electricity generator is
known as nuclear power
plants. One example of
nuclear reactor’s form is a
pressurized water reactor (PWR). The energy generated by the reactor is a form of calorie or
heat produced by fuels.
 Following the scheme of nuclear reactor provided above, the heat will be derived from
fission in the reactor to the steam which then will reactivate the turbine and produce electricity.
In this process, within the steam generator, the heat will be separated from the water and
delivered to the turbine so that it may be able to generate electricity. Meanwhile, the water will
be derived to the water pump, after getting through a process of cooling-down in the condenser,
to be pumped back in the nuclear reactor.

The Effectiveness of Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy, according to researchers and scientists, has been proved as a clean and
‘green’ energy. It has been approved as of it aided compliance with the Clean Air Act of 1970
which set standards to enhance air quality6. In addition, nuclear energy also offers beneficial
and environmentally ‘friendly’ advantages, besides reducing gas emissions7 and the use of
fossil fuels.

First, nuclear power plants offer a highly substantial and easy way to ‘hydrogen
economy’8. In an environmental summit orchestrated by the American Chemical Society,
Ibrahim Khamis, Ph.D. asserted that ‘hydrogen production using nuclear energy could reduce
dependence on oil for fueling motor vehicles and the use of coals for generating electricity.’ In
other words, nuclear power plants could help the world to confront global warming, since
burning hydrogen only produces water vapor, not carbon dioxide. Hence, nuclear energy could
engender a reduction in pollution drastically.

Furthermore, utilizing the heat from nuclear reactor to release hydrogen will likely to
produce hydrogen effectively with an affordable price and free from gas emissions. Therefore,
hydrogen production can be developed to establish green economy in the future, which is in
line with the principle of sustainable development9.

Second, nuclear energy can be a solution towards several major crises in the world such
as the lack of clean water resources for humans’ consumption and irrigation for plantations
(crop)10. Globally, the process of desalination of water – mainly sea water – has been used to
produce clean water. Through utilizing the heat released from nuclear reactor, the sea water is
able to be neutralized. Therefore, the demand of clean water might increase in an incremental
way and states utilizing the nuclear energy or nuclear power reactors might be able to fulfil and
provide the needs of their citizens for clean water.
 According to Mark Diesendorf, the combination of nuclear, wind, geothermal and
hydro energy is a safe way to utilize energy11. He also asserted that by combining those energy
resources it will likely to fulfil the increasing demands for energy in a more efficient and eco-
friendly way. As for now, nuclear energy has been acknowledged as the best solution for power
plants. It can be used for producing safe, clean and reliable energy, and has been playing a very
important role in achieving global energy security and sustainable development12. With climate
change as the uttermost international agenda, we must take action as the key for human
existence by pushing the renaissance of nuclear energy.

Endnotes
1
Nuclear Energy Institute, 2017. How Nuclear Reactors Work, Washington, DC: Knowledge
Center of NEI

2
Nuclear chemistry part 2: Fusion & fission. 2015. [Film] Directed by Nicholas Jenkins. The
United States of America: EcoGeek

3
This report elucidates an alternative to Indonesia’s energy security issue by utilizing nuclear
energy in order to fulfil the needs of the citizens for a sustainable future (Naviandri, M., 2004.
Persepsi dan Penerimaan Masyarakat terhadap PLTN, Jakarta: Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan
Indonesia (LIPI))

4
Lestari, S., 2016. Potensi Uranium di Indonesia yang Sudah Diidentifikasi Capai 78.000 Ton,
Denpasar: Kompas

5
This article mainly shows how nuclear reactors work to produce energy (Martin, W., 2016.
Nuclear power. Nuclear reactor, 2 September)

6
This article shows that nuclear energy has succeed to meet the compliance of the Clean Air
Act of 1970 and that nuclear utilization does not release pollutants and greenhouse gasses.
This proves that nuclear energy is safe for environment sustainability (Rogers, P. G., 1990.
The Clean Air Act of 1970. EPA Journal, pp. 21-23)

7
Celebi, M. et al., 2016. Nuclear Retirement Effects on CO2 Emission: Preserving a Critical
Clean Resource. Cambridge: The Brattle Group

8
ACS, 2012. Nuclear power plants can produce hydrogen to fuel the “hydrogen economy”,
Washington, DC: American Chemical Society
9
Nuclear Energy Institute, n.d. Issues & Policy. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nei.org/Issues-Policy/Protecting-the-Environment
[Accessed 18 April 2017]

10
The article proves that nuclear energy has empowered power plants for water or irrigation in
some countries (Henriques, S., 2015. Improving Farming with Nuclear Techniques, Toronto:
International Atomic Energy Agency)

11
Diesendorf, M., 2016. Renewable energy versus nuclear: dispelling the myths, Kent: Energy
Post

12
This article indicates the European nuclear fleet that has reduced gas emissions of 700 million
of CO2 in the atmosphere which is the result of utilizing nuclear energy effectively. This
proves that nuclear energy has been successfully aided the compliance of the principle of
sustainable development and helped the world to fight against environmental changes or
degradation (Gonzales, E., 2005. Nuclear energy and sustainable development. Nuclear
Espana, 37(06), pp. 9-13)

References
ACS, 2012. Nuclear power plants can produce hydrogen to fuel the “hydrogen economy”,
Washington, DC: American Chemical Society.
Celebi, M. et al., 2016. Nuclear Retirement Effects on CO2 Emission: Preserving a Critical Clean
Resource. Cambridge: The Brattle Group.
Diesendorf, M., 2016. Renewable energy versus nuclear: dispelling the myths, Kent: Energy Post.
Gonzales, E., 2005. Nuclear energy and sustainable development. Nuclear Espana, 37(06), pp. 9-13.
Henriques, S., 2015. Improving Farming with Nuclear Techniques, Toronto: International Atomic
Energy Agency.
Lestari, S., 2016. Potensi Uranium di Indonesia yang Sudah Diidentifikasi Capai 78.000 Ton,
Denpasar: Kompas.
Martin, W., 2016. Nuclear power. Nuclear reactor, 2 September.
Naviandri, M., 2004. Persepsi dan Penerimaan Masyarakat terhadap PLTN, Jakarta: Lembaga Ilmu
Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI).
Nuclear chemistry part 2: Fusion & fission. 2015. [Film] Directed by Nicholas Jenkins. The United
States of America: EcoGeek.
Nuclear Energy Institute, 2017. How Nuclear Reactors Work, Washington, DC: Knowledge Center of
NEI.
Nuclear Energy Institute, n.d. Issues & Policy. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nei.org/Issues-Policy/Protecting-the-Environment
[Accessed 18 April 2017].
Rogers, P. G., 1990. The Clean Air Act of 1970. EPA Journal, pp. 21-23.