NTT Earthquake Briefly Disrupted Electricity, Rapid Restoration Key to Economic Activity
Power network restoration following the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) proceeded relatively quickly. The condition is considered important to accelerate the recovery of community activity while maintaining the continuity of economic activity in disaster-affected areas.
National Energy Council (DEN) member M Kholid Syeirazi said all substations affected by the earthquake in the Flores electricity system were successfully restored and returned to operation in less than 12 hours.
As is known, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that shook the Flores region on Saturday (15/8) briefly disrupted the electricity system in the area. A total of 11 substations, or all affected substations, were restored in less than 12 hours.
“The speed of electricity restoration such as in NTT is important because electricity is a basic need of the community, especially in a post-disaster situation,” said Kholid.
Restoration data shows the repair process is continuing. As of Sunday (16/8) at 09.00 WITA, restoration of distribution substations across the entire Flores mainland had reached 92 percent.
Furthermore, on Tuesday (18/8) at around 17.00 WITA, all affected customers in Flores were reported to have regained access to electricity.
According to Kholid, the restoration of electricity supply has a broader impact than merely restoring energy services. The availability of electricity is one of the supports for the community to resume economic activity after a disaster.
“In a disaster situation, electricity restoration is not only about re-energising the network, but also ensuring that hospitals, public service facilities, disaster posts, and community activities can resume,” said Kholid, who previously served as Executive Director of the Center for Energy Policy.
He assessed that the speed of electricity restoration in Flores demonstrates the importance of energy infrastructure readiness in facing disaster risks. Disruption to strategic infrastructure can affect public services as well as community economic activity if restoration takes a long time.