JAKARTA (RambuEnergy.com) – Indonesia’s electricity consumption increase from 1,012 kilo watt per hour (kWh) per capita in 2017 to 1,064 kWh per capita in 2018, showing a positive trend despite relatively stagnant economic growth, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
“The national electricity consumption increased o 1,064 kWh per capita. Not too bad,” the energy minister Ignasius Jonan said Thursday (Jan. 24).
He expects the electricity consumption will continue to grow steadily driven by an improvement of electricity access, steady economic growth as well as the rise of electric vehicles.
Indonesia’s electrification ratio at end of 2018 has reached 98.3%, the minister said. Unfortunately, some remote areas in eastern Indonesia is yet to have electricity access, in particular, East Nusa Tenggara province. The NTT province electricity ratio currently stood at 61.9%, the lowest in the country. The Papua and West Papua provinces electrification ratio now stand at 90.47% and 99.99% respectively.
Given the current economic growth rate, the government projected the country’s demand for electricity will continue, driven by increasing demand for electricity of industry players and households. To support the future demand, the government is embarking on developing power plants, with a planned capacity of 35 GW, around half the current total installed capacity. (*)