Load-shedding will be suspended at 10:00 after 3 000MW of generation capacity was recovered and sufficient emergency reserves replenished.

The announcement by the power utility provides some reprieve, as power cuts were initially scheduled to last until 05:00 tomorrow.

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says their team is working to restore a further 4 091MW by tomorrow.

“Coal operations at Kusile Power Station are at optimal levels, with all units that were offline as of Friday now back in service. Progress on the recovery of Koeberg Unit 2 [is] well underway,” she explains, adding that Koeberg Unit 2 remains safe.

Mokwena says planned maintenance outages aimed at preparing for winter and meeting regulatory and environmental licensing requirements continue.

“We maintain our guidance that load-shedding is largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet. While baseload capacity remains constrained, our generation recovery plan is addressing this challenge. The dedicated efforts of our highly skilled staff remain unwavering,” she concludes.

Eskom Group chief executive Dan Marokane yesterday briefed the media in Pretoria, stating that the power utility is committed to bolstering electricity generation by bringing new capacity online and completing maintenance.

“Our focus remains on bringing new capacity. Kusile Unit 6 is going through its last stages of commissioning, and we expect it to be synchronised to the grid by March 18. By the end of March and April, Medupi Unit 4 should also be synchronised.

“It is the combination of maintained units and new capacity that will essentially form the backbone of our entry into the winter period, with winter plans to be announced at the end of March,” Marokane said.

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