Eskom moves to Stage 4 loadshedding
Saturday’s interruptions are expected to be between 7am to 9.30am, 3pm to 5.30pm and 11pm to 1.30am.
Eskom has lost additional generation units this morning and with units not having returned to service as scheduled, unavailable capacity has increased to about 13 000MW.
This with a higher demand of about 1000MW, necessitates loadshedding to move up from Stage 2 to Stage 4 from 2pm today and it is expected to continue until 6am tomorrow morning (Saturday).
In addition, the increase in the loadshedding stage is intended, among other things, to cater for unplanned further trips and to create capacity to replenish water reserves for their pumped storage schemes.
The power utility said they continue to utilise diesel and water resources at their open cycle gas turbines and pumped storage schemes respectively, to supplement capacity.
With the incessant rain, they are beginning to experience coal-handling problems at a number of their power stations because of wet coal, which has led to generation units being unable to produce power.
Stage 4 is expected to be between 3pm an 5.30pm as well as 11pm to 1.30am.
Stage 4 calls for 4000MW to be rotationally loadshed nationally at a given period.
