South Africa just about managed to scrape by without implementing Stage 7 – Image: Adobe Stock
BREAKING: Stage 2 load shedding set for Saturday EVENING
South Africans are in for a weekend of load shedding, as Eskom will implement stage 2 of the rolling blackouts
South Africa just about managed to scrape by without implementing Stage 7 – Image: Adobe Stock
Brace yourselves for a weekend of loadshedding! Eskom has announced that it will be implementing Stage 2 of load shedding on Saturday evening, 4 December 2021, from 21h00 until Monday at 05h00.
The power utility has attributed the rolling blackouts is due to the fact that generation units at Kusile, Medupi and Arnot power stations failed to return to service. Added to that is the delay of a unit returning to service at Tutuka power station. That’s not all: Eskom also says the failure of the coal conveyors at Medupi led to reduced output at the station. The embattled parastatal says this has been rectified, but it will still take time to recover the full operations.
“Furthermore, there was a complete shutdown of the Kendal power station ash plant due to an electrical fault. This required the station’s output to be reduced to minimum. The ash plant has since returned to service, and the ash backlog recovery is in progress,” said spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha.
Eskom: Load shedding could be enforced earlier
Eskom says all the aforementioned constraints, together with the higher demand from both Friday and Saturday, have resulted in extensive usage of emergency generation reserves (hence the load shedding), which will have to be sufficiently recovered for the week ahead.
But the power utility also added it may be forced to implement load shedding much sooner than in the evening.
“Should there be any further deterioration in the power system, loadshedding might be required to be implemented earlier. This loadshedding is due to a failure of a generation unit each at Kusile, Medupi and Arnot power stations, as well as a delay of a unit returning to service at Tutuka power station,”
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha
Eskom says total breakdowns have increased to 14 727MW while planned maintenance is 6 711MW of capacity as they continue with the reliability maintenance.
“Eskom appeals to all South Africans to help reduce the usage of electricity by switching off non-essential items in order to help us through these constraints.
We will communicate promptly should there be any significant changes to the power system,” Mantshantsha said.
