Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA) – The Riau Islands Provincial Government has targeted to emplace new electrical installations to reach all houses in the province’s frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) areas.
Riau Island’s Head of the Mineral Resources Energy Office, Muhammad Darwin, stated in Tanjungpinang, Friday, that electrical installation is being conducted since houses on 90 islands had yet to be electrified.
According to Darwin, one of the obstacles posed in conducting electricity installation on the islands is the absence of electricity network and the cost of new installations being much more expensive.
To assist in providing electricity in the province’s 3T areas, the Riau Islands Energy and Mineral Resources Office has targeted to electrify all homes in Riau Islands to receive electricity by 2026.
“(It is) based on the 2021-2026 Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD). We are targeting that in 2026, the programs will be evenly realized,” Darwin stated.
However, he acknowledged that help from several parties was required for providing electricity in 3T areas, as it cannot rely solely on the regional budget. So far, some mining companies have helped through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to illuminate people’s homes.
In addition, communities in the 3T regions support the program by granting lands to be used for electrical installations.
Currently, 635,593 households, or 94.5 percent of households in Riau Islands have been electrified. Of that figure, the electricity of 631,806 housing units is sourced from state electricity firm PT PLN, while electricity in 3,787 houses is not sourced from PLN.
Furthermore, some 81 of the total 325 villages in Riau Islands have been electrified for 18 hours daily, and nine villages for seven hours, while the rest have been electrified for 24 hours.
“We are cooperating with PT PLN, and encourage electricity on the islands to be available for 24 hours,” Darwin said.
Source: Antara News