Load shedding to be restricted to stages 1 and 2 today

Following a week of slight relief from load shedding, embattled power utility Eskom has implemented rolling blackouts alternating from stage 1 to 2 today, subject to change.

“In order to allow further replenishment of the pumped storage dams, stage 2 load shedding will continue until 5am on Saturday morning,” said Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena.

“Thereafter, stage 1 load shedding will be implemented from 5am until 5am on Sunday.

“On Sunday, load shedding will be suspended from 5am until 4pm. Stage 1 load shedding will then resume from 4pm until 5am on Monday.

“Eskom will communicate should any significant changes occur. An update on the week ahead will be shared on Sunday.”

With a packed sporting weekend, many were hoping load shedding would be kept to a minimum.

But, with a heatwave currently enveloping certain parts of the country, additional strain may put the grid under pressure as South Africans try to keep cool.

Eskom’s statistics for Thursday’s evening peak at 6.39pm, showed a demand of 29 169 megawatts (MW) and available generating capacity of 26 693MW.

It shed 1 928MW from the grid at peak while generating power from 18 diesel generators.

Meanwhile, summer should allegedly be a lot easier for ordinary South Africans as “we have turned a corner” in the power crisis, according to Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

The minister made the remarks during an update of the energy action plan last week. Ramokgopa struck an optimistic note about the country’s battle against load shedding, saying the restoration of more units at Kusile power station in the next few months could lead to additional energy capacity.

“We are now beginning to turn the corner in relation to additional capacity,” he said. “I indicated at our last briefing that the Kusile units will be indispensable to resolving this problem.

“In the short term, it will help us reduce the intensity of load shedding.”

Kusile’s units one, two and three were idle for almost a year due to safety concerns and licensing restrictions.

Ramokgopa said the shutdown had resulted in a loss of about 2 400MW from the national grid.

This added considerable strain, particularly during the high-demand winter months.

The other two units of Kusile are expected to return online on 3 November, and when operating at full capacity, the three units will generate more than 2 400MW of electricity.

In the short term, Kusile will help reduce the intensity of load shedding