Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) is optimistic that investment in Indonesia will be on the increase following the significant improvement in the ranking of easy electricity access, or getting electricity, in the last five years.
Based on the results of getting electricity ranking issued by the World Bank, Indonesia has successfully climbed to rank 33 in 2020. The country was previously ranked 75th in 2015. This means the public can access electricity more easily.
“This is one of the indicators of an improved business climate in Indonesia,” said Head of Bureau of Communication, Public Information Services, and Cooperation of Ministry of EMR, Agung Pribadi, in Jakarta on Saturday (14/11).
According to Agung, the higher ranking of the getting electricity indicator has been achieved through various efforts, such as ensuring reliable and affordable supply of electricity, encouraging innovation, and ensuring that customer service is a top priority.
Director of Commerce and Customer Management of PT PLN (Persero), Bob Saril, in the company’s official statement said that availability of supply had been inseparable from infrastructure development conducted by PLN. Until September 2020, generation capacity has reached 63.3 Gigawatt (GW), or rising by around 7.8 GW since 2015, when capacity was only 55.52 GW.
“The additional infrastructure will certainly increase both availability and reliability of electricity supply. Electricity is available not only in Java and city centers but also across Indonesia, even in remote villages,” said Bob.
PLN has also been building GI (substations) and transmission networks. In 2015, there were 1,499 GI with a total capacity of 92 thousand Mega Volt Ampere (MVA). The number of GI has risen to 2,161 units in September 2020 with a total capacity of 146 thousand MVA. There is an increase of 662 GI and around 54 thousand MVA of total capacity.
In terms of transmission networks, the length was 41 thousand circuit kilometers (kms) in 2015, and it now stands at 60 thousand kms. This means an additional length of almost 19 thousand kms.
As to service, application for new connection or power addition with an SLO (Certificate for Operational Worthiness) can now be filed through a single window. Previously, such application was filed to different agencies because an SLO was issued by an Electricity Technique Inspection Agency. In a spirit of transformation, PLN will soon launch an application called ‘New PLN Mobile’, an integrated services application for PLN’s customers.
The government has continued to realize an electrification ratio target of 100% by the end of 2020. There are still around 400 villages in the 3T (frontier, outermost and least developed) regions without electricity. Meanwhile, the national electrification ratio reached 99.09 percent in the first semester of 2020. (IY)
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