Indonesia said Wednesday that it will press on with plans to build a nuclear plant close to a volcanic fault line, despite the nuclear emergency in earthquake and tsunami-ravaged Japan.

"If we pick to build it on Bangka island, surely it will be based on several considerations which are in line with international safety criteria," the National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) chief Hudi Hastowo told AFP.

Bangka island lies east of Sumatra island where a 9.1-magnitude undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami in 2004, killing 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean including 168,000 in Indonesia.

"The site has a relatively stable record of seismic and volcanic activity," he said, adding that the agency will "certainly" adopt more sophisticated technology than Japan.

"It's too premature to discuss how the Japan crisis will directly affect our project," he said.

"But surely in 2022 when we build the plant, we'll use a better technology system," he added.

The disaster that has befallen Japan's Fukushima plant has prompted some experts to cast a worried eye at nuclear plants in seismic zones.

Twenty percent of the 440 commercial reactors in operation around the globe are located in areas "of significant seismic activity," according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), an industry group.

Some of the 62 additional reactors under construction are also in quake-prone zones, along with many of the nearly 500 units on order or proposed, especially in fast-developing countries, the group said.

earlier related report

Spain to review security at nuclear plants: government
Madrid (AFP) March 16, 2011 –

Spain's government said Wednesday it will review security measures at all its six nuclear power plants in the wake of the disaster in Japan.

"A review of the security systems of all the reactors in the country will take place," Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian told parliament.

"Specifically, a supplementary seismic survey has been requested as well as a study on the risk of flooding."

He said Spain's Nuclear Security Council "has been asked to analyse the impact as soon as possible."

A Spanish environmental umbrella group urged the government Tuesday to close the country's oldest nuclear reactor following the accident at what it described as its "twin" atomic power plant in Japan.

earlier related report

Vietnam says safety key in nuclear programme
Hanoi (AFP) March 16, 2011 –

Safety will be a priority for Vietnam as it pursues its nuclear programme in cooperation with Tokyo and other countries, the government said, as Japan's nuclear crisis deepened Wednesday.

Russia and Vietnam signed a multi-billion-dollar deal in October for the Southeast Asian country's first nuclear power plant, while Vietnam and Japan plan to join forces to develop two other nuclear reactors.

Vietnam intends to put eight nuclear plants into operation over the next 20 years.

"In our development plan of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, Vietnam puts nuclear safety issues (as) a top priority," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga.

"Vietnam will cooperate closely with Japan and its partners to have the best plans for building nuclear power plants… and at the same time ensuring nuclear safety and environmental protection," Nga said.

Japan is dealing with the world's worst nuclear incident since Chernobyl after a quake and tsunami disaster struck on Friday.

Asia has been leading the world's nuclear renaissance in recent years as countries in the region look for ways to power their booming economies while lessening their dependency on imported fossil fuels.

Regional governments face pressure to curb their programmes after the Japanese atomic crisis, but dozens of reactors are still expected to be built in the near future.

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