Eskom Ramps Up to Stage 5 Load-shedding: Here’s What You Need to Know

Eskom’s Recent Move: Eskom has raised the alarm, revealing a shift to stage 5 load-shedding for Sunday evening through the wee hours of Monday. Brace yourself, folks, because this isn’t a short stint. Eskom’s official word on this? “Stage 5 load-shedding will be implemented from 16:00 today until 05:00 on Monday,” they stated on a Sunday afternoon.

The Shedding Shuffle: After giving the nation a slight breather, Eskom will revert to stage 4 load-shedding till 16:00 on Monday. But don’t get too comfy — stage 5 will be back in action Monday evening through Tuesday morning. And, yes, you guessed it: “This pattern will be repeated daily until further notice,” they added.

Why the Intensification? Here’s a mini-breakdown:

• Maintenance Surge: From June’s average of 3,000MW, it’s jumped to a whopping 6,000 MW this September.
• Recent Failures: Over just one weekend, units from Duvha, Hendrina, Tutuka and even two from Kendal were whisked away for some TLC. In brighter news, units from Arnot, Camden, and Grootvlei have re-entered the arena.
• Delays & Constraints: A slow return from Kendal and Tutuka has further strained capacity.

The Need for the Increase: With breakdowns towering at a concerning 16,572MW and planned maintenance eating up 6,287MW, Eskom’s push for more load-shedding is to rejuvenate emergency generation reserves. As the evening’s demand peak is anticipated to be 26,608MW, the utility pleads, “we appeal to the members of the public to continue reducing demand by switching off non-essential appliances.” So, perhaps it’s a candlelit dinner kind of night?

Also Read:   Nothing New in Ramokgopa's Load Shedding Plan

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