PLN Apologises, Promises No Further Power Outages After Sumatra Blackout

JAKARTA — PT PLN (Persero) has confirmed that the Sumatra power grid has been restored to normal and there will be no further power outages on Monday (25 May 2026) following a major disruption that caused blackouts across several provinces in Sumatra since Friday (22 May 2026). PLN Transmission Director Edwin Nugraha Putra stated that all major power plants in the Sumatra system have begun to gradually resume operations. ‘Insha Allah, there will be no further power outages in the Sumatra system today and this afternoon. Once again, we apologise to the public,’ Edwin said at a press conference at the Bareskrim Police headquarters in Jakarta on Monday (25 May 2026). He explained that the Sumatra power grid has two main transmission corridors: the 500 kV eastern corridor and the 275 kV western corridor, which supply electricity from southern to northern Sumatra. During the disruption, two transmission circuits tripped, allegedly due to severe weather including heavy rain and strong winds. As a result, the electricity flow that normally passes through the eastern route shifted to the western corridor. This caused the western transmission line to isolate itself to prevent further widespread disruption. ‘At that point, between Muara Bungo and Sungai Rumbai, two circuits also tripped,’ Edwin said. As a result, the Sumatra power grid split into two sections. The southern region experienced an electricity surplus, while the north faced a shortage. However, in the northern region, the frequency of electricity continued to drop, causing power plants to trip sequentially, leading to a domino effect. PLN conducted a two-hour check of transmission infrastructure to ensure there was no physical damage to the network.