Eskom Update: Load Shedding Jumps Between Stages

This Week in Power

Hold onto your hats, folks! Eskom’s got a rollercoaster of a week ahead for power users. They’ve just let out their load shedding game plan, and we’re seeing a little hopscotch between stages.

The Shedding Schedule:

• Sunday (10 September): We start with Stage 1 load shedding till 16h00. As the evening rolls in, brace for Stage 4 blackouts.
• Monday & Tuesday: Morning to late afternoon (05h00 to 16h00), it’s Stage 3.
• Wednesday: It lightens up a bit. From 05h00 to 16h00, expect only Stage 2 outages.

But remember, this is Eskom. “All schedules are subject to change at any point.”

Behind the Numbers

Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty:

• Breakdown Blues: Eskom’s grappling with a hefty 16,646MW capacity in breakdowns.
• Maintenance Mode: Another 5,107MW’s offline for scheduled tune-ups.
• No Power Imports: For 24 hours, Eskom’s paused power imports from Cahora Bassa due to – you guessed it – maintenance. But hey, tomorrow morning, it should be back in action.
• Unit Updates: A unit at Tutuka went offline for repairs. But, on the flip side, units from Duvha, Kendal, Kriel, and two from Arnot have been resurrected. Sadly, units at Hendrina, Kendal, Matimba, and Matla are taking their sweet time, adding to Eskom’s headaches.

The Power Talk

In a Sunday presser, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa dished on the ongoing power saga. He broke down the current load shedding spike into a troublesome trio: unpredictable high demand, too many Eskom outages, and post-winter maintenance acceleration.

Yet, he remains hopeful. By year’s end, the Kusile Power Station will join the power fray, giving the grid a boost. But, till then? Expect some turbulence.

Ramokgopa was crystal clear: “If (planned maintenance) coincides with a number of units failing on their own, then you are exposed. And the only option available to us is intensified load shedding.”

He wrapped up with a future-forward statement: “It is a calculated risk. We are going to do this the right way; we are going to fix these units. It’s a short-term pain for long-term gain