#PowerAlert: Stage 2 loadshedding will continue

According to a press release from Eskom, they terminated Stage 2 loadshedding at 5am today, 6 December, after having to loadshed from 4pm yesterday.

As the generating plant continues to perform at low levels of reliability, Eskom’s technical teams were unable to return units from planned or unplanned maintenance as scheduled.

With units not returning, Eskom was unable to replenish water reserves overnight for pumped storage schemes.

As the electricity system continues to remain under severe pressure with unplanned breakdowns remaining above 12 500mw, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented.

According to the press release, Eskom is currently using diesel at their open cycle gas turbine to supplement capacity and to limit the level of loadshedding of which they currently have sufficient reserves.

Eskom’s Emergency Response Command Centre (ERCC) continues to monitor the system, while their technical teams continue to work around the clock to return additional units to the grid.

With the incessant rain, Eskom is beginning to experience coal handling problems at a number of its power stations as a result of wet coal, which has contributed to additional load losses.

This could further impact supply as the rainy weather persists.

While not expected or planned, further deterioration of plant performance or emergence of other risks may necessitate invoking further stages of loadshedding.

In the system status briefing of 4 September this year, Eskom warned that in order to avoid loadshedding in summer, unplanned breakdowns needed to be contained at below 9 500mw.

In the event that generator breakdowns are experienced beyond 10 500mw, there will be high use of emergency resources (diesel and pumped storage generators), which may lead to loadshedding, if the supply constraints is sustained for a long duration.

A concerted collective effort to reduce demand can help to avoid or lessen the level of loadshedding.

As Eskom experiences rainy and cold weather in some parts of the country, they asked electricity users to use efficient heating to keep warm and switch off geysers over peak periods.

They urge residents to, at the end of the day, turn off computers, copiers, printers and fax machines at the switch.

They said residents should avoid stand-by or sleep mode.

Eskom reminded its customers that loadshedding is a controlled measure to protect the power system from a total collapse or blackout.

Eskom had to implement Stage 2 loadshedding yesterday from 4pm to 11pm to protect the power system from a total collapse as the unplanned outages were above 9 500mw.