Bahlil and PLN CEO Speak Frankly About Indonesia's Current Electricity Situation

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia and PT PLN (Persero) CEO Darmawan Prasodjo have provided an explanation regarding disruptions to the electricity system in Java. This follows recent rolling blackouts in several areas of the island. Bahlil stated that he is paying full attention to the rolling blackouts carried out by PLN and has asked the company to take immediate, measured, and comprehensive mitigation steps to prevent a recurrence. He emphasised that PLN must conduct a thorough evaluation of its operational systems and ensure all processes run optimally. Bahlil also refuted claims that the blackouts were caused by a lack of fuel supply at several power plants, asserting that the overall coal requirement for PLN has been anticipated through assignments to national coal companies. He clarified that the technical delivery of coal to power plants is a matter of PLN’s logistics management. Meanwhile, PLN CEO Darmawan Prasodjo reported that the electricity system in Java is showing signs of recovery, with rolling blackouts successfully minimised since Sunday. He apologised to the public for the inconvenience and noted that the supply of primary energy meeting the specifications of both PLN and Independent Power Producer (IPP) plants has resumed. One major IPP plant that had experienced technical issues was successfully repaired and re-synchronised with the Java system on Sunday night. Darmawan expressed appreciation for the government’s support and stated that PLN is working to improve the primary energy supply chain governance and strengthen power plants to maintain and enhance system reliability.