PLN restores 11 main substations supplying electricity to Flores
State electricity company PT PLN (Persero) has successfully restored 11 substations on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck on Saturday morning (15 August).
“The main electricity supply for Flores is back to normal. Our current focus is ensuring that power can reach communities in all areas still affected. PLN teams continue working to repair and replace damaged network infrastructure, including poles and distribution networks,” said PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo in an official statement confirmed by ANTARA from Jakarta on Monday.
As of Sunday evening (16 August), most of the distribution network had resumed operations. However, 29 villages out of a total of 1,557 have yet to be restored due to limited access, with several locations still isolated as a result of the earthquake and landslides.
Darmawan explained that the current recovery challenge is repairing distribution networks close to customers, which remain hampered by blocked access.
“There are still several hamlets and customer points that we are working to restore. Some are constrained by access due to post-disaster conditions, and some remain isolated. We continue to seek the best access routes so that teams can enter and carry out repairs immediately,” he said.
According to Darmawan, PLN is not only pursuing speed of recovery but also ensuring that every network to be restored meets electrical safety requirements.
“In conditions like this, we must move quickly, but we cannot ignore safety. Every network to be energised must first be confirmed safe, both for the public and for personnel. Therefore, the recovery process is carried out in stages according to conditions on the ground,” said Darmawan.
General Manager of PLN’s East Nusa Tenggara Regional Main Unit, F. Eko Sulistyono, said PLN personnel remain on standby at several affected locations to carry out assessments, repairs and network restoration.
“We continue to strive to complete all work as quickly as possible while paying attention to security conditions on the ground,” said Eko.