"Enormous" amount of uranium found in Kalimantan

"Enormous" amount of uranium found in Melawi- West Kalimantan
( the reserves in West Kalimantan alone reaching 29,000 tons  for 150 years  )

uranium

Kalimantan local administrations are waiting for the central government to approve a plan to build a nuclear power plant in the region, Fathan A.R, head of the West Kalimantan Development Planning Board (Bappeda), said.
He said the local administration had cooperated with the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) in assessing the amount of uranium that could be enriched for the purpose. He said an enormous amount of uranium, approximately around 900 tons, had been found in Melawi regency, West Kalimantan.

(Jakarta Post Nov. 15, 2010).

Uranium exploration in Papua could harm indigenous population: The chairman of the Papuan Customary Council (DAP), Forkorus Yoboisembut is concerned that the explorations into uranium now being conducted by Freeport in the Timika region are failing to take the interests of the indigenous people into account and could result in having a negative impact on their welfare. These explorations, which have already been under way for eight months are not transparent. 'We have made strong representations to the company that these exploration can be harmful to the customary groups,' he said.
To ensure that the local communities do not have any objections regarding the exploration of uranium, the investors and the government should co-ordinate with the traditional owners (of the land).' There is a need for transparency by the investors about how long the explorations will be conducted and what the local communities will receive in payment,' he said.
(Scoop Sep. 7, 2010)

Papua

Mining of Indonesia's uranium reserves not feasible under current market conditions: Indonesia has an uranium reserve of at least 53,000 tons which could be used as basic material for building nuclear power plants (PLTN), including 29,000 tons in West Kalimantan and 24,000 tons in Bangka Belitung.
"Besides, Papua may also have a very large uranium reserve. But it still needs some research," Deputy for Development of Cycle Technology of Nuclear Substance and Engineering of the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) Dr Djarot S Wisnubroto said here on Tuesday (Aug. 31) night. It had been estimated that Papua island has uranium reserves or nuclear basic material in large amounts on the basis of the similarity of the rocks in Papua and those in Australia already known to have the biggest uranium reserves in the world, he said.

If a 1,000 MW PLTN needs 200 tons of uraniuam per year, with the reserves in West Kalimantan alone reaching 29,000 tons, Djarot said, it means uranium can be supplied for as long as 145 years.
"But it does not mean we will be producing uranium ourselves for a PLTN, because under the existing conditions, the price of uranium is quite low. It would be more efficient for us to buy it from other countries. The uranium reserve could be used for the future," he said.
(Antara News Sep. 1, 2010)

House demands inquiry into alleged uranium mining by Freeport in Papua: The House of Representatives on Thursday (July 15) demanded an immediate investigation into accusations that PT Freeport Indonesia was illegally mining uranium in secret in Papua, despite the widely-held belief that the nation does not possess viable deposits of the strictly controlled mineral. The House said the miner would need to provide clarification on the matter.

(Jakarta Globe July 16, 2010)

Expert: Indonesia's uranium reserves are too little to be extracted: Nuclear energy expert Iwan kurniawan has said that uranium sources in Indonesia are too little to be extracted with feasible cost, while a local non governmental organisation have accused that plans to mine uranium in the country is a result of pressures from global nuclear traders.

(Tempo Interactive Feb. 11, 2010)

Melawi- West Borneo

Indonesia's West Kalimantan province has uranium reserves enough to generate electricity for 150 years, a local development planning official said here on Saturday (Dec. 26). "Based on data West Kalimantan minimally has 25,000 tons of uranium reserves spread in Melawi district," Fathan A Rasyid, the head of the regional development planning board, said.

(ANTARA News Dec. 26, 2009)

Kusmayanto Kadiman, Indonesia's Minister for Research and Technology, says that with help from Australian officials and mining companies, Indonesia has identified its own uranium reserves in Kalimantan, which it hopes to exploit, with Australia's help.
(ABC Jan. 10, 2008)