More load shedding will strike SA in 2015
Reports in the media on Friday indicated that the recent blackouts may be a direct result of a shortage of funds at Eskom with some news outlets going as far as to assert that the company is on the brink of bankruptcy.
In response to the Addie’s questions about the company’s lack of funds, spokesman Andrew Etzinger said “We are managing our cash flows tightly.
“While we have adequate funds available to manage our day-to-day operations we have virtually used up our budget for diesel due to increased usage of Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) which we did not anticipate.
“We can no longer re-direct any further funds to diesel as to do so would compromise other core activities.
“The grid will be very constrained for rest of the summer which means risk of load shedding is moderate to high during most weeks.
Eskom generates, transmits and distributes approximately 95% of the electricity used in South Africa and approximately 45% of the electricity used in Africa, as stated on their Twitter account.
In a media release, Eskom stated “While there was no load shedding over the weekend, the system remains vulnerable, meaning that any extra load or faults in the system may necessitate the need to implement load shedding.
Eskom will provide regular updates on the status of the power system through all media platforms
Eskom would like to thank all South Africans for heeding the call to reduce energy consumption.
“We ask that you continue to Live Lightly this summer.”
