STAGE 3 load shedding may be elevated as Eskom continues to implement “reliability maintenance” during this period, says the power utility.
Eskom announced on Wednesday, a day before President Cyril Ramaphosa’s much-anticipated State of the Nation Address on Thursday that the system will continue to be constrained, with the possibility of load shedding remaining elevated.
The embattled state-owned company said the outlook for the power system remained unpredictable and there was a high probability of load shedding continuing on Thursday.
“Eskom regrets to inform the public that Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 1pm (Wednesday) until 6am (Thursday). This load shedding is necessary as the power generation system is still severely constrained due to high generation unit breakdowns during the past three days, as well as the need to replenish diminishing emergency generation reserves,” the power utility said in a statement.
“Eskom will continue to assess and communicate promptly as the situation changes. This morning (Wednesday), a generation unit each at the Lethabo, Kendal and Duvha Power Stations were taken offline for repairs, adding to the high number of breakdowns and units that have failed to return to service as planned.”
The power utility currently has 4 858MW on planned maintenance, while another 14 521MW of capacity was unavailable due to breakdowns and delays.
“Eskom requests the public to continue using electricity sparingly as the system remains vulnerable and unpredictable, and we will communicate timeously should there be any significant changes to the power system.”