PLN Successfully Restores Flores Electricity System After Earthquake
PT PLN (Persero) has successfully restored the electricity system in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. By Tuesday at 5.40 pm local time, all previously affected customers had regained access to electricity.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena expressed appreciation to PLN for its swift response in restoring the electricity system after the earthquake in the Flores Sea. He thanked PLN’s board of directors, the general manager in NTT, and all field teams for their extraordinary work since the first day to restore electricity in Flores and surrounding islands.
PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said the completion of the restoration was part of PLN’s commitment to being present for the community, particularly in post-disaster situations. He noted that PLN personnel had worked day and night, visiting affected locations one by one, driven by the goal of returning electricity to normal so that people could resume their activities.
Darmawan acknowledged that the restoration process was supported by various parties, including the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, regional governments, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, and local communities. He said this spirit of mutual cooperation helped overcome difficult conditions on the ground.
He added that the full restoration of the electricity system would support the recovery of community activities and the tourism sector in Labuan Bajo. PLN wants to ensure electricity continues to support Labuan Bajo as one of the main gateways for tourism in eastern Indonesia.
PLN General Manager for East Nusa Tenggara, F. Eko Sulistyono, explained that the restoration was carried out in stages by deploying personnel, materials, and equipment to affected locations. A total of 1,144 personnel were deployed to secure, repair, and normalise the network gradually. He said the process faced challenges such as access difficulties caused by the earthquake, requiring point-by-point inspections before networks could be normalised.
After the Flores electricity system was fully restored, PLN kept personnel on standby to monitor network conditions and anticipate potential further disruptions. During the restoration process, PLN also distributed aid to affected communities through its Social and Environmental Responsibility programme, coordinated with the Regional Disaster Management Agency, regional governments, social services, and security forces. The aid included emergency lighting facilities, food and logistics packages, health and medical packages, special packages for toddlers and children, and hygiene and sanitation packages.