Can Stakeholder Engagement Serve as a Catalyst for Indonesia’s Nuclear Market?
Indonesia, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), officially released its energy roadmap in The Electricity Supply Business Plan (Rencana Usaha Penyediaan Tenaga Listrik, RUPTL) 2025 - 2034 on May 26, 2025, which sets a nuclear energy capacity target of 500 MW, planned through the construction of two small-sized nuclear power plants (NPPs) or Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), each with a capacity of 250 MW, by 2032 and 2033 in the Sumatra and Kalimantan grid systems. According to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, this project, which at the latest will commence in 2034, will be part of Indonesia’s broader effort to diversify its energy mix and strengthen long-term energy security.
Recent developments show that several countries, such as Russia and Canada, have expressed interest in investing in Indonesia’s NPP projects. Nuclear energy is also projected to become a national strategic project contributing significantly to future energy security while supporting the Net Zero Emissions (NZE) 2060 target. In addition, NPP development is expected to positively impact GDP growth for public welfare. However, global experience has shown that technological readiness alone is not sufficient. The success of NPP construction is, in fact, highly determined by the readiness of regulations, financing, and stakeholder engagement strategies to gain public support. Furthermore, project delays due to public opposition will create uncertainty in construction schedules, which in turn adds financial and technical risks from the planning stage. Thus, how does the critical role of stakeholder engagement influence commercial success for Indonesia’s future nuclear energy program?
The Role of Stakeholder Engagement in National Nuclear Success
For newcomer countries in the nuclear sector, such as Indonesia, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has established the Milestones Approach, which includes 19 infrastructure prerequisites. So far, Indonesia has fulfilled 16 of them, with three crucial aspects remaining: national position, management, and stakeholder involvement. This fact underscores that building public trust and early engagement are not complementary efforts, but rather the foundation that determines the success or failure of a nuclear program.
Unlike other energy projects, nuclear programs face stricter scrutiny due to issues of safety, waste, costs, siting, and public perception influenced by past accidents. Certainly, delayed engagement or lack of transparency risks triggering social resistance, land disputes, and even project cancellations. Conversely, countries that implemented open communication from the beginning have proven able to transform public doubts into sustained support.
Examining the Landscape of Public Engagement towards Nuclear Energy in Indonesia
As an archipelagic country with hundreds of indigenous groups spread across small islands, Indonesia faces extremely complex public communication challenges. Many indigenous communities live in close connection with nature, have limited access to education, and minimal understanding of modern technology. Therefore, the delivery of nuclear energy concepts cannot rely solely on conventional communication approaches. Moreover, the planned construction of NPPs near water sources or the development of floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) is closely tied to their living environments.
Although research shows that public support for NPPs in Bangka Belitung is relatively high, reaching 73.73%, this cannot be used as a reference for other regions. Moreover, Indonesia has 29 potential sites scattered for NPP construction. Field realities show that indigenous communities often reject large-scale infrastructure projects as they are considered to threaten traditional territories and livelihoods. This is often triggered by mismatches between government development concepts and traditional values, as well as the lack of socialization and participation of indigenous peoples in project planning processes. Several key factors driving such resistance include loss of land and livelihoods, eviction and relocation of indigenous peoples from ancestral lands, loss of cultural identity due to changes in village or river names and neglect of heritage sites, limited dialogue that creates confusion, offense, or marginalization, and fundamental conflicts between the government’s economic development vision and the customary laws upheld by indigenous communities.
The conflict between project developers and indigenous communities often lies in poor communication, requiring more inclusive stakeholder engagement and communication strategies in the long run. Several strategic steps that can be implemented include involving traditional leaders and local figures as trusted intermediaries, using culturally relevant narratives with simple and easy-to-understand language, and disseminating communication broadly and comprehensively, particularly regarding the benefits of nuclear energy. The government could conduct periodic public opinion surveys to monitor perceptions and adjust strategies, communicating relocation efforts transparently and strategically, ensuring equitable education and introducing nuclear energy to younger generations from early age through to university, including via interactive media and dedicated energy curricula, as well as guaranteeing communication transparency to build fact-based trust.
This approach explicitly emphasizes that stakeholder engagement must not be viewed as a temporary campaign to improve nuclear energy’s image but will help eliminate negative public perceptions of nuclear disasters in the long term. By linking community values to the greater benefits offered by nuclear energy compared to its risks, this will ensure the consistent success of Indonesia’s nuclear energy program in the future.
The Commercial Stakes of Nuclear Energy Development
Long-term energy projects outlined in the RUPTL 2025 - 2034 open massive opportunities for private investment, with around 73% of new generation projects developed through the Independent Power Producer (IPP) scheme. The total investment value is estimated to exceed IDR 2,000 trillion (USD 124 billion), with around IDR 1,566 trillion (USD 97 billion) coming from IPP projects.
Within this framework, nuclear energy is positioned as one of the most strategic developments. The 500 MW target by 2034 is an initial step toward Indonesia’s long-term ambitions as stated in the National Electricity General Plan (Rencana Umum Ketenagalistrikan Nasional, RUKN) 2025 - 2060, with a target of 35 GW of nuclear capacity by 2060. Bangka Belitung Province has even been identified as the main candidate site for Indonesia’s first NPP. However, behind these great opportunities, the risk of failing to build public support, particularly from indigenous communities, could become a costly commercial liability, delaying projects, reducing investor confidence, and threatening the bankability of Indonesia’s nuclear projects.
Investing in Trust: Stakeholder Engagement as the Foundation of Nuclear Energy’s Future
Strategies to improve stakeholder engagement are indeed a challenge, but also a strategic instrument that offers numerous advantages for investors. This strategy will directly provide benefits in accelerating project licensing and construction, reducing social, legal, and regulatory risks, strengthening the social license to operate, and ensuring long-term investment sustainability. Investors and project developers can also build close cooperation with local governments and community leaders, establish community liaison teams, support corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs focused on education and local empowerment, and demonstrate lasting commitment to sustainable development.
Raising awareness of nuclear programs will be an important task for newcomer countries, such as Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations currently planning nuclear power programs. This challenge certainly needs to be communicated and advanced collectively at the regional level. The 10th edition of the Asia Nuclear Business Platform (ANBP) 2025, to be held on December 9 - 11, 2025, in Jakarta, Indonesia, will serve as a vital forum bringing together policymakers, global stakeholders, and industry leaders to shape the next phase of ASEAN’s nuclear trajectory. With the National Energy Council of Indonesia (Dewan Energi Nasional, DEN) as the host, this forum will strengthen ASEAN’s commitment to a safe, sustainable, and regionally integrated energy future.
