Perceived risk and social acceptance in the prospective nuclear power plant project: An Indonesian case

• Public acceptance is crucial for NPP development, beyond just technical and safety criteria. • Rasch modeling and spatial analysis for perception mapping in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. • Perceived risk and social acceptance were significantly influenced by gender, domicile, and job variations. • Geographic proximity increases perceived risk among communities. • Tailored communication strategies are essential and vary by location, occupation, and gender. The development of nuclear power plants (NPPs) involves not only technical considerations but also social acceptance, which is often overshadowed by high-risk perceptions due to historical memories of nuclear accidents and public distrust in governmental preparedness. This study aims to analyze perceived risk (PR) and social acceptance—covering environmental (EI) and socio-economic (SI) impacts—related to Indonesia’s first planned commercial NPP project in West Kalimantan. A quantitative approach was employed using a field survey of 153 respondents within a 50 km radius of the proposed site. Data were analyzed using the Rasch model, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), spatial analysis, and difference tests or Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The SEM model demonstrated an excellent fit with the data. Both EI and SI had significant negative effects on PR, indicating that more positive perceptions of environmental and socio-economic impacts correlate with lower risk concerns. However, closer geographical proximity to the site was associated with higher PR. Perception variations were significantly influenced by respondents’ domicile and occupation, whereas no significant effect was observed for age and education level. These findings suggest that communication and public engagement strategies aimed at enhancing social acceptance must be tailored, targeting community groups based on their location and profession, rather than applying a uniform or generic approach.