Balikpapan, E Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Electrification by the state power utility company PLN has covered all 1,520 villages in East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan.

"East Kalimantan has 1,038 villages and North Kalimantan 482 villages," Business Director of the regional branch of PLN Machnizon said here on Thursday.

The target for electrification ratio, therefore, has been fully reached in East and North Kalimantan, Machnison said.

"This is in line with our target that electrification would cover all village in East and North Kalimantan in 2018," he said.

Earlier, Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Ignasius Jonan said electrification ratio in the country is expected to reach 97.5 percent in the country by the end of this year exceeding previously set target of 95.15 percent.

In 2019, the ratio is expected to rise to 99.9 percent overshooting the target of 97.5 percent set previously, he added.

The government is preparing a number of programs to reach the electrification ratio of 99.9 percent, he said, adding the programs include construction of new and renewable energy-based power plants.

"In many areas villages are located far from each other. Therefore, we will build off-grid power plants using new and renewable energy," he said.

Another major program is construction of solar energy plants especially in areas not yet reached by PLN networks.

Reporter: Novi Abdi
Editor: Bambang Purwanto
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