Indonesia has reached an agreement with Russia’s state-owned Rosatom State Corporation to supply electricity from two floating nuclear plants planned for North Maluku, marking the first export agreement of its kind for Russian civilian nuclear power expertise. The facilities are intended to serve northern Halmahera Island, in eastern Indonesia, with initial electricity delivery expected as early as five years after the key terms of the supply contract take effect.
Rosatom announced the agreement on October 19, following its signing with Indonesian state-owned company PT Pembangkit Listrik Nuklir on October 16 during Russian Energy Week in Moscow. Under the arrangement, Rosatom will provide two FPU-100 floating power units with a combined capacity of 200 MW. The proposed installations would be located in Indonesian waters around 3,000 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur and 1,400 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu.
The company said “The FPUs are expected to begin supplying their first megawatts of electricity to consumers in Indonesia as early as five years after the key terms of the electricity supply contract come into effect.” Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said, “Rosatom is ready to offer the most advanced and proven technological solutions available on the global market.”
Indonesia Strengthens Its Long-Term Nuclear Energy Plans
Indonesia included nuclear power in its National Energy Plan in 2025, identifying it as an instrument for long-term energy security and its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. The agreement for floating nuclear plants represents a step in the country’s plans to incorporate nuclear generation into its future energy mix, although the facilities remain several years from expected operation.
Malaysia Resumes Assessment of Nuclear Power Options
Malaysia has also resumed preliminary work on nuclear energy. The country restarted Phase 1 of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Milestones Approach to assess the feasibility of adding nuclear power to its national grid. Its earlier programme lost momentum after a change of federal government following the May 2018 general election, when the Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation was disbanded.
In November 2024, responsibility for charting a possible path towards nuclear power was assigned to the Malaysia Programme Office for Power Electricity Reform (MyPOWER) Corporation, a special-purpose agency under the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry. The ministry is overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Small Modular Reactor Development Continues Worldwide
Rosatom estimates that approximately 80 small modular reactor projects are currently at the design stage worldwide. The Indonesian agreement adds to regional interest in nuclear technology as governments assess options for long-term electricity supply and lower-carbon energy systems.