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Malls and PLN agree on power saving
Mall and office buildings agreed with state power company PLN to enact a less severe version of a regulation on power-saving after originally rejecting the decree and threatening protests
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Mall and office buildings agreed with state power company PLN to enact a less severe version of a regulation on power-saving after originally rejecting the decree and threatening protests.
The parties agreed Thursday that the businesses will switch to power generators for three hours per week, instead of the initially proposed 10 hours, said PLN director for Java and Bali Murtaqi Syamsuddin.
"Malls and the other two businesses have finally agreed not to use electricity from PLN once a week, and to use their own power generators when electricity load peaks," he said at the trade ministry.
"Hopefully, we can save 10 percent of our total electricity consumption, and avoid blackouts."
Speaking after a meeting with representatives of the Indonesian Shopping Center Association (APPBI) and ministry officials, Murtaqi said the agreement was effective immediately although the official agreement -- to be marked by a joint ministerial decree -- had yet to be signed.
"Hopefully, it can be signed before the start of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan," he said.
According to APPBI secretary general Sutoto Soerjadi, malls and office buildings operating from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. will have to use power generators from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. once a week on weekdays.
Those that operate from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. must run on power generators from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The final draft also stipulates that the businesses may only turn on their air conditioners one hour before opening time and that the units must be switched off one to two hours before closing time.
The businesses, shopping centers in particular, previously intensely opposed the proposed regulation, which applies to Java and Bali, citing that it would saddle them with additional costs of up to Rp 100 million (US$10,911) per month.
After the agreement was reached, mall operators were asking the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to provide diesel fuel for their power generators at lower prices, said APPBI chairman Stefanus Ridwan.
"We are promised an adequate supply of diesel fuel but we want (the ministry's) oil and gas director general to allow us to buy diesel fuel at lower prices," he said.
Diesel fuel now sells for Rp 5,500 per liter.
Murtaqi previously said electricity consumption in Java and Bali was estimated to increase by 2.5 percent during Ramadan and the period surrounding New Year's Day.
PLN expects the new regulation to save up to 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity consumption per day.
The government last month issued a regulation ordering manufacturers on Java and Bali to move two working days per month to the weekends, but excluded those forced to operate 24-hours a day.
Murtaqi said PLN had met its target of saving an average of 180 MW per day under the regulation and that it expected to save 600 MW with the participation of malls, hotels and office buildings, which would secure stable power supply for Java and Bali.
