PLN Case Round-up: Batam Blackout, Danantara Steps In and CEO Replaced

A series of problems at state-owned electricity company PT PLN (Persero) came under scrutiny after a mass power outage hit Batam and Bintan in the Riau Islands on 12 October 2026. The disruption, which lasted more than 11 hours, not only hindered public activity but also prompted a government review and a change at the helm of the state-owned utility.

Within days, developments included investigations into the cause of the blackout, plans to review the maintenance system, attention from President Prabowo Subianto, steps by Danantara Indonesia concerning the management of PLN Batam, and the replacement of PLN chief executive Darmawan Prasodjo by Suroso Isnandar.

Here is a round-up of the PLN case that came under the spotlight in October 2026.

1. Batam-Bintan blackout paralyses public activity

The power crisis began at about 6.30 am local time on Monday, 12 October 2026. A sudden disruption to the Batam-Bintan interconnected electricity system caused a mass outage that lasted more than 11 hours.

About 90 per cent of Batam city was reported to have lost power. The disruption also affected Tanjungpinang and Bintan Regency. A total of 411,219 customers were affected, with 578.2 megawatts (MW) of capacity lost.

The effects spread to a number of public facilities and services. Clean-water production reportedly fell to about 30 per cent because of limited generator capacity. Internet services were also disrupted, traffic congestion occurred as traffic lights stopped working, and operations at Hang Nadim International Airport were temporarily affected.

Initial speculation suggested that a wild animal entering the Sungai Harapan substation might have triggered the disruption. However, subsequent technical assessments focused on problems with a transformer and several power plants that went offline or tripped.

Suroso Isnandar, then PLN’s director of project management and renewable energy, said a fault in one transformer was the initial cause being investigated. He also said coal supplies to power plants were secure; according to PLN’s initial account, the blackout was therefore not caused by a coal-supply problem.

Power supply in Batam was declared fully restored on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. Restoration in some parts of Bintan, meanwhile, was carried out in stages.