Through the program of Bright Papua 2020, PLN builds power plants and power grids to remote villages that have not yet been electrified.
On National Electricity Day 2017, simultaneously 101 villages spread in Papua can use electricity. Regional Director of PLN Maluku and Papua Ahmad Rofik said this is a very special gift for people of Papua and West Papua who have not enjoyed electricity for decades. A total of 16 villages are located in Sorong, 4 villages in Merauke, 6 villages in Timika, 52 villages in Jayapura and 7 villages in Biak.
Through the program of Bright Papua 2020, PLN builds power plants and power grids to remote villages that have not yet been electrified. There are villages which systems are made isolated by installing diesel generators, such as in Neney district. But many of them use the grid system (extension) from the existing electricity. The total power capacity of the whole power plant with an isolated system is 300 kW with Medium Mining Network 214.37 kms and Low Voltage Network 157.04 kms.
PLN faces many challenges in building power plants and power lines in Papua. One of them is the spread of residential location in the mountains as well as transportation access to the location. Currently there are 117 villages that have electricity from the target of 379 villages for this year. The remaining villages that have not received electricity will be cultivated to be completed by the end of this year.
The west Papua provincial administration positively welcomed this program, hoping that the Bright Indonesia Program can be well executed so that all regencies in West Papua can enjoy 24 hours electricity supplies.
Keywords: Papua, West Papua, Indonesia, Government, Electricity, PLN, Infrastructure, Jayapura, Sorong, Bright Papua.
