Concept art of Thorcon’s transportable MSR plant. (Image: Thorcon International)
Thorcon International has received official approval from BAPETEN, Indonesia’s nuclear regulator, for a site evaluation plan and site evaluation management system plan for the country’s Kelasa location. According to Thorcon, it is the first-ever nuclear power plant–related licensing approval from the Indonesian government, and it marks the completion of the first step of the company’s nuclear power plant licensing campaign in the country.
Singapore-based Thorcon has established a domestic unit, PT Thorcon Power Indonesia, to handle engineering and licensing. The company noted that the licensing application, submitted in January, was completed predominately by its Indonesian staff and domestic contractors, with the review and approval completed entirely by the Indonesian regulators.
The approval comes after the Indonesian government announced in May its aim to introduce 10 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2040. Currently, more than half of Indonesia’s installed power capacity is coal.
Design: Thorcon’s molten salt reactors will be built in shipyards and transported to plant sites, according to the company, which noted that two 557-MW thermal reactors can power a single 500-MW plant. The MSRs will operate on low-enriched uranium but will one day be able to incorporate thorium fuel.
Matt Wilkinson, Thorcon International CEO, added,“Our MSR technology operates at low pressure with liquid fuel. These two factors enable our inherent safety. We’re safe thanks to the laws of physics.”
Onward: The next steps for the Kelasa site are to obtain the site license and design approval, with the potential to start construction in 2027 and achieve full power by 2031, according to the company.
