TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State electricity firm PLN has collaborated with Indonesian Military (TNI) and State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to secure the right-of-way (ROW) network of its Java-Bali 500-kV transmission line.

“Alhamdulillah, we have signed an MoU with TNI commanders and BIN,” said the corporate acting director Sripeni Intan Cahyani in a hearing meeting with the Energy Commission of the House of Representatives (DPR) in the Parliament building, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, September 10.

The cooperation is intended to secure the right of way of the firm’s several power transmission line, including the 500-kV transmission which supplies electricity to Java and Bali and the 275-kV transmission outside the two islands.

“This aims to help us maintain the transmission line and minimize causes or risks that possibly trigger an interruption, especially in the 500-kV transmission line,” Sripeni said.

On Sunday, August 4, the massive power outage hit Jakarta, West Java, and Banten. PLN announced the incident was caused by trees growing over the transmission line’s rights of way limit.

PLN’s executive vice president corporate communication & CSR, I Made Suprateka, also explained trees with a height over 9 meters near the 500-kV Extra High Voltage Air Duct (SUTET) in Ungaran-Pemalang caused an electrical arc flash to the transmission tower.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO