Indonesia has started exporting electricity to Wutung, a small town in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea, through power grid belonging to State electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) in Skouw, Jayapura, Papua.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced the electricty export during a press conference following the state visit of Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape at the Presidential Palace in Bogor on Monday, July 15, 2024.
Skouw and Wutung are situated on the border between Papua, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
“Regarding the construction of the electricity network by PLN on the Skouw-Wutung border, I can inform you that this cooperation begins today, and the electricity in Wutung has been switched on today,” Jokowi said.
In addition to electricity exports, Indonesia is committed to supporting the development of public service infrastructure in Papua New Guinea through ongoing grant programs.
These include renovating hospitals in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, and constructing various public facilities in West Sepik, Sandaun.
“Indonesia appreciates and continues to seek Papua New Guinea’s support in enhancing cooperation with the Pacific, including the Melanesian Spearhead Group agreement and the Pacific Island Forum,” Jokowi said.
Prime Minister James Marape expressed gratitude for Indonesia’s support in supplying electricity to the border area. He hopes that Papua New Guinea will gain more access to electricity from Jayapura in the future.
“I want to thank you for the electricity available in Wutung,” Marape said. He also highlighted the potential for clean energy from hydropower and geothermal sources in Papua New Guinea, suggesting it could be exported back to Indonesia.
Previously, PT PLN had agreed on a partnership with PNG Power Ltd (PPL) on August 10, 2023. PLN operates a 20-kilovolt (kV) distribution network that supplies electricity from the Holtekamp power plant to the Skouw border. The Jayapura System as a whole has a capacity of 149.87 megawatts (MW), with a current peak load of 96.56 MW and a reserve margin of 55.2 MW or 53.31 percent.
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea has a cumulative installed electricity capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW). Under PNG Power, the country’s electricity needs are met by hydroelectric power plants (PLTA) and gas and steam power plants (PLTGU).
During their meeting, the two leaders signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen relations and cooperation between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The four MoUs include two agreements on cross-border transportation of passengers and goods, as well as agreements on cooperation in health and education sectors.
One of the cross-border MoUs signed by Jokowi and Marape will regulate the commercial transportation of buses from Jayapura in Papua to Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, in a more progressive manner.
The other cross-border MoU regulates the transport of goods by motor vehicles crossing the border between Jayapura and Vanimo.
Additionally, Jokowi and Marape agreed on bilateral cooperation in the health sector, titled “Corporation in the Field of Health, Indonesia-Papua New Guinea,” aimed at improving health systems and services in both countries, especially in border areas.
They also enhanced educational partnerships, which include training and capacity building for educators and scholarships for students.
“Indonesia has been committed to supporting the development of Papua New Guinea and other Pacific countries with various ongoing grant programs, such as renovating hospitals in Port Moresby and building public facilities in West Sepik,” Jokowi concluded.