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