Weekend Load Shedding: What to Expect

Load-shedding Stages Shift

The nation’s power provider, Eskom, has laid out its cards for the weekend. Brace yourselves, folks. Stage 5 load-shedding will linger until the early hours of Saturday, 9 September 2023.

But there’s a silver lining. Eskom projects a boost in generation recovery over the weekend. Thus, as Saturday dawns, load-shedding will recede to Stage 3.

Eskom’s official voice chimed in: “Due to the recovery of some generation units whilst planned maintenance is still underway, Stage 5 load-shedding was implemented at 05:00 today and will continue until 05:00 on Saturday.” What’s next? “Stage 3 load-shedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00, followed by Stage 4 load-shedding from 16:00 until 05:00 on Sunday.”

Why the Shift? This change is all thanks to a combination of “expected additional generation recovery, improved emergency generation reserves, and the lower weekend demand,” Eskom noted.

Generation Glitches and Gains

  • Offline Capacity: Eskom currently has 5,474MW offline for maintenance, with an added 15,895MW unavailability due to hiccups.
  • Recent Changes: “Over the past 48 hours, a generating unit each at Camden and Kendal power stations was taken offline for repairs,” Eskom remarked. However, units at Arnot, Kendal, Matla, and Tutuka have been revived.
  • Delays: Eskom did acknowledge setbacks in restoring units at specific power stations, adding to their capacity challenges.
Also Read:   Electricity minister Strategies Unveiled: Eskom's Future Without Load-Shedding

Stay Tuned!

Expect another Eskom bulletin on Sunday afternoon or when any notable changes pop up.

AI was used to generate part or all of this content - more information