South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023 Image: Pixabay.

Load shedding this festive season? Here’s what Eskom’s COO says

As the festive season approaches, some South Africans are concerned they might be celebrating Christmas in the dark

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday, 11 January 2023 Image: Pixabay.

South Africans will have to put up with load shedding just a tad bit longer, as Eskom‘s Chief Operations Officer (COO) Jan Oberholzer says the rolling blackouts will likely continue for next few months. This means the festive season will probably be enjoyed in the dark, unless the embattled power utility announces other wise.

Briefing media on Tuesday, 15 November 2022, Oberholzer says a unit at Koeberg power station will undergo scheduled maintenance from December 8 until June next year.

“Unit 1 of the Koeberg nuclear power station, which has enjoyed 384 days of uninterrupted supply, will be shut down for normal maintenance and refuelling, and the replacement of the three steam generators as part of the long-term operation to extend its operating life,” he said.

EXPECT LOAD SHEDDING FOR THE NEXT… SIX MONTHS

Now citizens have been warned that load shedding will probably remain for the next six months, as the repairs and maintenance work gets underway. Jan Oberholzer says Eskom has had to rely heavily on extensive use of open-cycle gas turbines, burning millions of litres of diesel, to essentially avoid escalating load shedding any further.

“Due to the vulnerability and unpredictability of the power system, coupled with the major capital projects and maintenance and major repairs to be executed during the next few months, the risk of continued load-shedding remains quite high,” Oberholzer says.

Eskom’s COO has also called out municipalities who are indebted to the parastatal, telling them to consider their roles in the bouts of load shedding. As of July 2022, municipal debt to Eskom stands at nearly R50 billion.

The Free State and Mpumalanga are considered the top defaulters, with a combined R30 billion owed to Eskom.

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