Load-shedding ramped up even more
The current high electricity demand has resulted in the extensive use of emergency reserves, says Eskom.
Eskom has just announced that load-shedding will be ramped up to stages 3 and 4 until further notice.
The power utility says reduced generation capacity and an ongoing high electricity demand of around 33 000MW have tapped into energy reserves over the past 36 hours. Gas turbines and pump storage generation had to be extensively used to keep up with demand.
The load-shedding schedule for the foreseeable future:
- Stage 4: Daily from 14:00 until 05:00.
- Stage 3: Daily from 05:00 until 14:00.
Over the past 24 hours, a unit at Matla Power Station and two units at Kriel broke down. Two units at Tutuka and one at Kendal power stations have been delayed in returning to service.
Eskom says the most critical time for consumers to switch off non-essential appliances is between 17:00 and 21:00. An update will be published as soon as any changes occur.
