Indonesia now wants to harness nuclear energy to meet growing energy demand and reduce carbon emissions.
The implementation of this long-term plan requires a concerted effort from all parties and risks facing various challenges.
Indonesia began using nuclear energy in February 1965 after President Sukarno inaugurated its first test reactor.
Six decades later, Southeast Asia's largest economy only has three research reactors, without a nuclear power plant to generate electricity.
Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, Dr Philip Andrews-Speed, said nuclear energy plays a role in curbing rising carbon emissions, while also meeting the increasingly urgent demand for energy.
President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to ensure the country's energy security and is optimistic about eliminating the use of coal within 15 years, which currently contributes two-thirds of Indonesia's electricity generation.
The Indonesian government also targets 40 to 54 gigawatts of the 400 gigawatts of electricity to be generated by 2060 from nuclear sources.
Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced that a small modular reactor is expected to be operational in Borneo around 2030 or 2032.
Acting Secretary-General of the National Energy Council (DEN), Dr Dadan Kusdiana said 29 locations outside Java have been identified to build nuclear power plants to support the development of central and eastern Indonesia.
