The Trnava-based carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen Slovakia plans to restart production on January 12, at the earliest. Due to reduced natural gas supplies, the carmaker decided to suspend both morning and afternoon shifts on Friday, January 9.
"If gas supplies are resumed, we will start production again on Monday; but on Friday we have to be on standby," said the plant's spokesman Peter Švec for the SITA newswire.
A decision to resume production should be made at a weekend meeting of the crisis management staff. PSA Peugeot Citroen Slovakia first interrupted its morning shift on January 8 but then prolonged it to Thursday’s afternoon shift due to the limited gas supply. A spokesman for Kia Motors Slovakia Dušan Dvoøák also confirmed a break in production in its factory on Thursday and Friday. He stated that if gas supplies are resumed, they are prepared to manufacture again on Monday, January 12.