The villages that have been electrified are Saria, Werua, Jarati, Sara, Namatota, and Maimai, Kaimana sub-district head Aris Bernad Oktovianus Fenetiruma informed here on Friday.
He lauded state-owned electricity company PLN for operationalizing its diesel power plant, which has enabled several hundred households in the six villages to enjoy 24-hour electricity.
PLN's power grid has been installed for expanding the electrification of villages in West Papua's remote areas as electricity has become a part of every family's basic needs, he said.
The electrification remains unfinished because some other villages in Kaimana sub-district have yet to be electrified, he added.
"We hope that next year, two other villages can be electrified," he said.
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In September this year, the Biak Numfor district administration in Papua province informed that at least 39,984 households have been electrified.
The number of electrified homes has increased from 30,219 in 2020, according to data received from the district government.
ANTARA has reported earlier that the Indonesian government has committed to increasing electricity access for people living in the outermost, remote, and underdeveloped (3T) regions across the country.
In this regard, Papua is one of the provinces that need special attention besides East Nusa Tenggara and Maluku.
According to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, his ministry has initiated a program to provide new electricity installations.
"Some 80 thousand connections have been allocated in the state budget for the 2022 term," he informed in a statement last year.
The program covers households that cannot afford to pay for new installations and are located in 3T areas that have already been supported by electricity, he said.
According to data from the ministry, the national average electrification ratio reached 99.37 percent in July 2021.
As rural electricity supply has been dependent on diesel power plants so far, the government is encouraging them to be replaced with renewable energy sources, in accordance with the villages' potential, he said.
In addition, the government is pushing the rooftop solar power plant program to increase consumers’ role in clean energy utilization, Tasrif added.
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Translator: E Supar, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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