Eskom Announces Escalation in Load Shedding Due to Unit Failures

Eskom’s Updated Load Shedding Schedule

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Increased Load Shedding: Eskom, grappling with the loss of four units and extensive maintenance, has announced an increase in load shedding starting Wednesday, 17 January.

Capacity Updates:

• Recent Restorations: Despite the return of 3,200MW of capacity in the last 48 hours, load shedding will intensify.
• Current Breakdowns: Breakdowns have led to 14,894MW of capacity being offline.
• Maintenance Status: Currently, 8,336MW of capacity is out of service for planned maintenance.

Load Shedding Phases:

• Stage 3 Activation: From 16:00 on Wednesday to 05:00 on Thursday.
• Stage 2 Continuation: Follows from 05:00 to 16:00 on Thursday.

Ongoing Schedule:

• Alternating Stages: The pattern of alternating between Stage 2 and Stage 3 will persist, with updates expected.
• Weekend Schedule: A new schedule will be announced on Friday.

Eskom’s Monitoring and Communication:

• Vigilant Oversight: “Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate should any significant changes occur,” the utility confirms.

Restoration Efforts:

• Capacity Recovery: Efforts are underway to return 606MW of capacity by Wednesday evening.
• Evening Demand: The anticipated peak demand is 25,503MW.

Eskom’s latest move to intensify load shedding underscores the ongoing challenges in managing the nation’s power grid amidst frequent breakdowns and extensive maintenance requirements. The utility’s commitment to monitoring the situation and communicating updates provides a small measure of reassurance in these fluctuating power scenarios.