Cape Town – Stages 3 and 4 load shedding will be be implemented as more generating units broke down over night.
In a short alert on Monday, Eskom spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha said load shedding will be maintained at Stage 3 until 4pm on Monday.
Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented from 4pm until 5am.
He said this was due to generating units breakdown.
“Two generating units at Tutuka Power Station were shut down during the night, while the return to service of an Arnot Power Station unit has been delayed, further reducing available capacity,” Mantshantsha said.
The power utility will be publishing a full update.
Last week, Eskom implemented Stage 6 load shedding following severe capacity constraints.
At the time, Eskom said 11 generators, amounting to 5084MW of capacity, suffered breakdowns, further reducing available capacity and causing the increase in the stages of load shedding.
There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for South Africans as chairperson of the Eskom board, Mpho Makwana warned that the country should prepare for the possibility of permanent load shedding of stage 2 or 3 for the next two years.
This was announced during a media briefing on Sunday, by outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter with his management team providing an update on system challenges at the power utility.
Makwana made the statement when he detailed Eskom’s plant performance recovery plan, which was in the final stages of being approved.
This plan was announced in the National Energy Crisis Committee’s six-month progress update on the implementation of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s energy action plan.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL