State-owned electricity company PLN has announced it will construct small power stations for 1,364 villages not yet served by electricity networks.

PLN planning director Nicke Widyawati said the project was different from the Bright Indonesian Program in 2,510 villages that use solar energy, which was implemented by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

“The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry program is temporary, while PLN offers a permanent solution,” Nicke said as reported by tribunnews on Tuesday, adding that PLN would cooperate with the ministry in implementing the project.

With the project, she said, PLN would construct small-scale power plants to meet local demand. “Our focus is to install grid extensions by using isolated power stations. Our target is [to finish the project in] three years. We will coordinate with the ministry,” she said.

Previously, the ministry issued Ministerial Regulation No. 38/2016 on electrification acceleration in less developed and remote villages as well as in border areas and on small islands. The government also permitted the involvement of private companies to help develop electricity in the regions.

PLN would use renewable energy for electricity in the remote areas, Nicke said, adding that in 2017, the company allocated Rp 1.81 trillion (US$136 million) for electricity in Papua and Rp 721 million for electricity in North Maluku and Muluku provinces.

source: tempo.co