ESDM Confirms Sumatra Power Restored as Planned

Jakarta - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has confirmed that the power system across Sumatra has been fully restored following a total blackout on Friday, 22 May 2026. The government continues to coordinate with PT PLN (Persero) to gradually restart various power generation units.

Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung explained that the power grid disruption was triggered by a lightning strike on transmission lines in Merangin. He confirmed that a special team was deployed to monitor power synchronisation to ensure continued electricity supply to the public.

“Technically, coal-fired power plants require around 12 hours to restore. We have done this, and the ESDM has deployed a team to check on-site. Alhamdulillah, the restoration was completed within the coordinated timeframe with PLN, achieving 100% recovery,” he stated during an interview at the DPR RI building in Jakarta on Monday, 25 May 2026.

The incident affected system stability as northern Sumatra’s electricity demand relies on power flows from the south. During the disruption, automatic protection systems cut the electricity supply to prevent damage to transmission cable infrastructure.

“Regarding the Sumatra power incident, the ESDM noted that transmission lines in Merangin were struck by lightning, which impacted system stability,” he added.

As a mitigation measure, the government has directed PLN to conduct technical audits and repairs at vulnerable points. One instructed step is strengthening earthing systems or installing additional earth rods to protect transmission assets from extreme weather.

“Our directive to PLN includes first a technical assessment of system improvements, and secondly, installing earth rods in high-risk areas,” he said.

Yuliot also stressed the importance of balancing power plant locations with regional electricity demand centres to prevent prolonged recovery times due to long-distance power transmission in future incidents.

“Balancing power supply across regions is crucial. Relying on distant power sources, such as from south to north, leads to lengthy recovery times,” he concluded.