PLN: 1,208 Villages in Central Papua Now Electrified

PLN reports that all 1,208 villages in Central Papua Province now have access to electricity through PLN networks, non-PLN generators, and the Energy-Saving Solar Lamp (LTSHE) programme. Tim Leader of Village Electricity Planning for the Central Papua Electricity Project Implementation Unit (UP2K), Viktori Bunga Bongga, stated in Nabire on Wednesday that this achievement means the village electrification ratio in Central Papua has reached 100 percent. “The village electrification ratio in Central Papua is now 100 percent, meaning all 1,208 villages have electricity access,” he said. He explained that electrified villages are not solely served by PLN but also include those supplied by power plants built by local and central governments. Of the total 1,208 villages in Central Papua, 324 receive electricity from PLN. Meanwhile, 305 villages obtain access through non-PLN generators, such as Solar Power Plants (PLTS) and Micro-hydro Power Plants (PLTMH) constructed by local governments and relevant ministries. “PLTMH plants are widely built in mountainous areas like Puncak and Puncak Jaya regencies,” he noted. Additionally, 579 villages receive lighting through the Energy-Saving Solar Lamp (LTSHE) programme from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. This programme is a standalone solar-based lighting system designed to serve remote villages not yet reached by the PLN grid. Although all villages are now electrified, the household electrification ratio in Central Papua remains at 94.66 percent. He clarified that the electrification ratio differs from the village electrification ratio; the former measures the number of households with electricity access, while the latter measures the number of villages with a source of lighting or power supply. “This means there are still some households in these villages that have not yet gained electricity access, even though the village is classified as electrified,” he said. To raise the electrification ratio to 100 percent, PLN continues to conduct surveys and map electricity needs across eight regencies in Central Papua: Nabire, Mimika, Dogiyai, Deiyai, Paniai, Intan Jaya, Puncak, and Puncak Jaya. He explained that these efforts aim to expand electricity services to homes in remote and hard-to-reach areas. “We continue to conduct field surveys so that communities not yet enjoying electricity can be served promptly and the electrification ratio in Central Papua can continue to improve,” he stated.