Eskom has announced that rolling power cuts will increase tonight in a bid to replenish emergency reserves after there was a delay to return three units to service.

Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented at 16:00 and continue until 20:00.

“Stage 4 load-shedding will be implemented until 05:00 on Thursday. Thereafter stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented until 20:00 [tomorrow], followed by stage 4 load-shedding until 05:00 on Friday. This alternating pattern of stages 2 and 4 load-shedding will be implemented until further notice because of the delay to return three generating units to service, and the need to replenish emergency reserves,” she explains.

Schedule:

Mokwena adds an update for the weekend will be provided on Friday afternoon.

“Unplanned outages account for 16 193MW of generating capacity [loss], while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance has reduced to 6 171MW,” she says and adds 2 100MW of generating capacity is anticipated to be returned to service by Friday.