Indonesian Businesses Begin Weekend Shifts to Save Power

Manufacturers in Indonesia have started weekend shifts to cope with the power shortages, local media reported Tuesday.

More than 300 manufacturers began to operate on week-end, and the state power firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) expecting the figure to pass 3,000 by mid-August, the Jakarta Post reported Tuesday.

The regulation, which requires manufacturers to shift up to two working days a month to the weekend, will also incorporate requirements for hotels and malls to use their own power generators for 10 hours per week, an official said.

PLN director for Java and Bali Murtaqi Syamsuddin said 302 manufacturers made changes to their working days from July 31, as scheduled by the government.

The changes had saved 95 megawatts of power on the first day of the new system, and 112 MW the following day.

"The amount of power saved (on July 31 and August 1) was lower than our target, but we are optimistic this will continue to increase," Murtaqi told the post.

PLN aims to save between 150 and 180 MW of power per day through implementation of the decree.

The regulation is designed to reduce the power load during peak hours. Companies that operate 24 hours a day or seven days a week are exempt from the regulation.