Electricity Across Riau to Aceh Completely Out After Disruption, PLN Apologises

PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) (PLN) said electricity across central and northern Sumatra has fallen into a total outage due to a system disruption, leaving areas dark this evening. PLN apologised for the disturbance.

I Komang Gede Sastrawan, Manager of Communications for PLN’s Distribution Unit for Riau and the Riau Islands, said an investigation into the power system disturbance affecting Riau and surrounding areas had been ongoing since 18:44 WIB.

‘Mohon maaf atas ketidaknyamanannya. Info sementara pukul 18:44 WIB Sistem Sumatera Bagian Utara-Sumatera Bagian Tengah Terpisah dan Sumatra Bagian Utara padam total. Beban padam masih didata,’ Sastrawan said, as reported by Antara on Friday (22/5/2026).

Sastrawan added that technical teams from PLN had been deployed to the field to carry out a thorough check of the system and network, and to trace the cause of the disruption.

PLN urged the public to remain calm and not panic. Updates on the handling of the disruption would be provided periodically via the PLN Mobile app and the PLN 123 contact centre.

‘Mohon maaf bapak/ibu. Info sementara padam meluas adanya gangguan sistem Sumatera bagian tengah dan Sumatera bagian utara,’ he added.

Power Supply Disruption

Meanwhile, PLN’s Aceh Distribution Unit (UID Aceh) said electricity supply in the province had experienced a total blackout due to a disruption in the power supply system.

‘We are currently continuing to coordinate with field teams to ascertain the cause of the power supply disruption in Aceh,’ said Lukman Hakim, Manager of Communications and TJSL (Corporate Social Responsibility) PLN UID Aceh.

Lukman explained that to ensure repair and normalisation of the disruption, PLN had mobilised hundreds of personnel working non-stop. ‘The teams are continuing to work at maximum capacity in the field to restore the flow of electricity,’ he said.

PLN apologised for the inconvenience to all loyal customers across Aceh. PLN is committed to delivering the best service to all customers in Aceh.

‘Mohon doa dari seluruh masyarakat, tim terus berupaya melakukan penormalan dan kami pastikan listrik akan normal kembali,’ he added.