Load shedding: Eskom reduces power cuts to stage 5

Eskom has announced that stage 5 load shedding will be implemented from 4pm on Thursday afternoon until 5am on Friday.

Thereafter, the deliberate power cuts would be imposed at different stages over the weekend including stage 1.

Eskom interim spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the utility will publish another update as soon as any significant changes occur.

Breakdowns

“Breakdowns have decreased to 16 369MW of generating capacity while the generating capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 3 369MW. During the last 24 hours, a generating unit at Matla Power Station has returned to service. In the same period, another generation unit at Matla Power Station was taken out of service due to breakdowns.

“In addition, the delay in returning units to service at Camden, Hendrina, Kendal, Matla power stations and two generating units at the Tutuka Power Station continue to add to the current capacity constraints. The team is working tirelessly to ensure that generating units are returned to service as soon as possible,” Mokwena said.

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Winter outlook

Meanwhile, Eskom’s acting CEO Calib Cassim said South Africans could expect a difficult winter, with load shedding going as far stage 8.

Cassim said Eskom has 3 000MW less power this winter than it did last winter.

“If the interventions that we have planned for the winter do not achieve the desired outcomes and your unplanned outages reaches levels of 18 000MW, then the likelihood of stage 8 load shedding during peaks is extremely high.”

Blackout

However, Cassim reiterated that a national blackout was unlikely.

“We are confident that will not occur because of the interventions and the control mechanisms that we have in place through a competent system operator team. More importantly, load shedding is necessary to keep control of the transmission grid which is critical and that is why the choice of the levels of load shedding is then executed to still remain in control of the grid,” Cassim said.

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