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View all search resultsPLN to launch major grid expansion after widespread Sumatra blackouts
Hundreds of new transmission towers are planned in North Sumatra and Aceh to boost system reliability and prevent future blackouts.
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A vendor prepares drinks for customers on May 23, 2026, during a power outage in Nagari Kasang, Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra. Rolling blackouts continued to affect several areas in West Sumatra, with scheduled outages taking place in different regions. (Antara/Fitra Yogi)
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tate power electricity firm PLN plans to build 217 new transmission towers connecting Aceh and North Sumatra after a recent blackout that left large swaths of Sumatra without electricity in one of the island's most severe power outages in recent years.
Rizki Aftarianto, general manager of PLN's Northern Sumatra regional office, said the project was aimed at improving the reliability of the island's power system and had been ordered directly by President Prabowo Subianto.
"The project will improve the reliability of electricity supply along the eastern coast of northern Sumatra. If a transmission disturbance occurs in the southern part of the island, North Sumatra will remain unaffected," Rizki said on Monday.
In North Sumatra the new transmission line will extend about 92 kilometers from Pangkalan Susu in Langkat regency to Helvetia in Medan. In Aceh, the network will span approximately 195 km from Sigli in Pidie regency to North Aceh.
According to Rizki, PLN is currently seeking the necessary permits from the North Sumatra administration, including location approvals for the construction of the towers.
The project is expected to face significant logistical and land-acquisition challenges, as a substantial portion of the route passes through densely populated areas.
“A total of 217 towers will be built, with an average spacing of around 400 meters for the 275-kilovolt extra-high-voltage transmission line. This poses a challenge because about 26 percent of the transmission corridor will pass through residential and urban areas,” Rizki said.
