The City of Tshwane has updated its load shedding schedule. Image: Pixabay.
Lower stages of load shedding to return this week – Ramokgopa
Just after President Cyril Ramaphosa said the end to load shedding is near, Eskom implemented Stage 6 load shedding.
The City of Tshwane has updated its load shedding schedule. Image: Pixabay.
Teams are working around the clock to return to service the units, contributing to load shedding being intensified to stage 6.
This is according to Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who confirmed this during a briefing on Sunday, 10 February.
WHAT CAUSED STAGE 6 LOAD SHEDDING?
Giving an update on the performance of the grid following the escalated levels of load shedding, Ramokgopa said boiler tube leaks at nine units contributed to intensified rolling blackouts.
Ramokgopa said 4 400 megawatts were taken off the grid on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
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“Eskom management has decided, having identified boiler tube leaks as a significant area of concern that undermines the availability of these units, to work directly with the original equipment manufacturers so that they do not go through the middleman. They are engaging with the people who designed these units.
“The people who know the DNA of these units are the ones who are assigned the responsibility to deal with this, so that we can do a proper root cause analysis, and be able to diagnose and then provide a prognosis, and return these units to service at the quickest possible period, having taken into account all safety concerns,” the SA government news agency reported.
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WHICH POWER STATIONS ARE THE MOST AFFECTED?
According to the minister, power stations whose units had contributed to the 4 400 megawatts include Lethabo, Matimba, Duvha, Majuba, Camden, Grootvlei, Kriel, and Medupi.
Ramokgopa said two units, Lethabo 5 and Kriel 2, have since returned online, with work underway to get the unit at Medupi back online.
Matimba 2, Kendal 3, and 4 were expected to return on Sunday.
“We expect to return [the other units] that failed by Wednesday. By Tuesday, we expect a significant reduction, returning to stages 4, 3, 2, and 1 [of load shedding].
“As part of planned maintenance, a significant portion of units will come back towards the beginning and end of March, where we will be moving from 7 000 MW to lower levels of between 5 000 MW and 6 000 MW, where you are going to see significantly improved intensity of load shedding,” he added.
