Indonesia restarts TRIGA�2000 reactor to advance nuclear research

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has resumed operations at the TRIGA 2000 reactor in Bandung, West Java, strengthening research, radioisotope production, and radiopharmaceutical development, the agency said on Wednesday.

Abdul Rohim Iso Suwarso, head of the TRIGA Reactor Installation Management Team, said the 1,000-kilowatt reactor is licensed by the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) to operate through July 2027.

Commissioned by President Sukarno in 1965, the reactor remains a strategic national asset supporting Indonesia's nuclear science and technology development, Iso said.

He said the reactor is fully operational following modernization aimed at improving safety and reliability.

"The refurbishment covered various structures, systems and components, including the reactor building, cooling system, secondary pumps, cooling tower and ventilation system," he said.

Iso said the available fuel supply is sufficient to support scheduled operations and meet research demand from BRIN and other users.

The reactor is used for nuclear engineering research, including Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), a technique employed by BRIN researchers such as Diah Dwiana Lestiani.

Lestiani said NAA identifies and measures the concentration of chemical elements in materials using neutron-induced nuclear reactions.

"The technique relies on neutron capture by atomic nuclei, producing radionuclides that emit characteristic gamma rays for element identification and concentration analysis," she said.

She said the reactor's return to service is expected to accelerate nuclear analytical research, address societal challenges, and expand domestic and international scientific collaboration.

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Translator: Sean, Kenzu

Editor: Rahmad Nasution

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