State electricity company PLN recorded a 2.2 percent growth in electricity sales to end-users in 2015, the weakest sales growth for the company in the last decade due to the sluggish economy.

PLN marketing division head Benny Marbun said electricity consumption slowed throughout 2015 due to lower demand from businesses such as factories, plants and mills.

"The achievement is far from the 2015 target, which was set at 5.6 percent. It is the lowest growth in the last 10 years, mainly because industry growth was quite small," said Benny in Jakarta on Thursday.

The steel and textile industries, he continued, recorded the lowest growth among sectors. "Meanwhile, demand from other industries such as cement and food was relatively stable."

Last year, electricity consumption grew to 202 terawatt hours (TWh), from 194 TWh in 2014. Overall, business in 2015 was relatively stagnant for companies due to fewer exports, Benny explained.

In 2016, PLN projected electricity consumption nationwide to grow 6 percent to 226 TWh. "We expect Indonesia to have a better economy and higher power consumption, thus boosting our sales," he said. (ags)

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