Power utility Eskom has warned that it might have to implement load shedding at short notice on Wednesday, due to losses in generating capacity.
If forced to implement rolling blackouts, the utility said it will be at stage 2, between 16h00 and 00h00.
The warning comes as Eskom experienced breakdowns at the Majuba, Tutuka and Kriel power stations, which have put a severe strain on the power generation system.
“The delay in returning two generation units at Arnot, a unit each at Kusile and Hendrina power stations has exacerbated the electricity generation constraints,” it said.
The latest warning follows load shedding being implemented up to stage 4 last week. Before that, South Africans experiences an 11-day reprieve after weeks of high levels of load shedding in June and July.
The period pushed president Cyril Ramaphosa to take drastic action and implement an energy crisis plan, which will see the government reduce red tape and fast-track new energy capacity builds to bolster the country’s energy sources.
At the start of the month, the president’s Energy Crisis Committee laid out a plan that will see the country add as much as 1,950MW of power to the grid over the next three months. However, analysts have stressed that this is not enough to cover Eskom’s immediate shortfall of 6,000MW.
Load shedding will remain a fixture in South Africa until this energy gap is closed.
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