Stage 6 Load Shedding This Week: Schedule Released by Eskom

Eskom, the South African power utility company, has released an updated schedule for load shedding this week. The plan will see the implementation of Stage 6 load shedding, which will continue daily from 4 pm to 5 am until Friday while various stages will be implemented during the day.

The breakdowns remain persistently high, with 18,972 MW of generating capacity currently out of service due to planned maintenance or unexpected breakdowns. Over the past 24 hours, a generation unit each at Camden and Tutuka power stations was taken out of service due to breakdowns. At present, there is no estimated time to service.

To reduce the burden of load shedding, Eskom plans to ease to Stage 5 by Friday night. However, the delay in returning units to service at power stations such as Arnot, Camden, Duvha, Kendal, Kriel, Lethabo, Matimba, Matla and Tutuka will continue to add to the current capacity constraints. The Eskom team is working around the clock to ensure that generating units return to service as soon as possible.

With the arrival of May, winter is slowly beginning to set in, and weather conditions in South Africa are expected to grow colder. Eskom and other sectors of society are warning South Africans to prepare for a difficult time, as colder weather causes energy demand to surge, exacerbating the current energy shortfall.

While authorities are endeavoring to mitigate the potential impact, it is unclear whether there is any end in sight. The only solutions that have been put forward to address the situation will not provide power until the end of this year through 2024.

The company encourages South Africans to limit their energy usage where possible; here is the schedule’s breakdown:

Wednesday, 3 May

• Stage 6: 16h00 to 00h00

Thursday, 4 May

• Stage 6: 00h00 to 05h00
• Stage 4: 05h00 to 16h00
• Stage 6: 16h00 to 00h00

Friday, 5 May

• Stage 6: 00h00 to 05h00
• Stage 4: 05h00 to 16h00
• Stage 5: 16h00 to 00h00

Though Stage 6 load shedding will become a routine occurrence, the schedule’s update will help South Africans to plan better, limit energy usage, and make out the next stage of load shedding. Stay informed by visiting Loadshedding.com, the best source for the latest load shedding schedules, news, and updates!