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PLN signs deal to expand electricity in two provinces in Papua
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (second right), accompanied by Papua Governor Lukas Enembe (second left), State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno (right) and state electricity firm PLN president director Sofyan Basir, inaugurates six electricity facilities in Jayapura, Papua, on Oct.17, 2017. (Antara/Indrayadi TH)
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tate-owned electricity company PLN has signed a cooperation agreement with a number of institutions to improve the electricity system through the “Papua Terang” program in Papua and West Papua provinces.
The institutions are the Indonesian Military and the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan) as well as five higher educational institutions – the University of Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology, Gajah Mada University, the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology and Cenderawasih University.
“With the cooperation agreement signed last Friday, PLN aims to provide electricity to 99 percent of villages in the two provinces in 2019,” PLN says in a statement at pln.co.id, adding that to date, PLN had electrified 30.39 percent out of the 4,535 villages in the two provinces.
The statement says the company plans to electrify 1,200 more villages this year.
After the signing ceremony, PLN also deployed 500 members of an expedition team under the name of “Ekspedisi Papua Terang.” The team members consisted of student volunteers, PLN, the Indonesian Military and Lapan.
The expedition team has visited 415 villages in Jayapura, Wamena, Nabire, Timika and Merauke since Saturday, educating Papua residents and holding a survey to collect data about villages, potential renewable energy and the progress of their electricity development.
The statement says that reports based on the survey would be submitted to PLN as input for the company to accelerate electricity development in Papua. (sau/bbn)
