South Africans should prepare for another round of load shedding, as Eskom has announced that Stage 2 will be implemented from 4 pm on Tuesday until 10 pm on Thursday, 15 April.
Eskom indicated in a statement that this decision follows the delayed return of generation units amounting to 3,120 MW, along with an additional loss of 1,385 MW in the past 24 hours due to unexpected breakdowns.
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The utility explained that the primary reason for this situation is the hold-up in the return of several units from scheduled maintenance. These delays, combined with an unplanned capacity loss that has momentarily exceeded 13,000 MW, are contributing factors.
Winter Outlook
In its Winter Outlook, the power utility assured that winter would be free of load shedding, stating that, at worst, there could be 21 days of outages if unplanned losses escalate to 15 gigawatts.
“Eskom is currently transitioning from an intensive maintenance phase, which is essential for long-term reliability, but temporarily reduces system flexibility and resilience. Thus, the grid is more susceptible to unforeseen disruptions,” the state-owned power provider clarified.
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The utility also emphasized that, despite the current challenges, the system is far stronger than in previous winters. In the last financial year, 96% of its generating capacity was available, compared to only 9% the year prior.
“We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause. Eskom remains dedicated to providing reliable electricity and is actively working to expand capacity. Three major Eskom projects are on track to add an additional 2,500 MW to the grid—a crucial step towards full recovery.”
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