Eskom on Wednesday morning ramped up load-shedding to Stage 4 amid failing generation equipment.
“Due to further failures of generation units, Stage 4 load-shedding will be implemented from 09:00 today until 05:00 on Friday,” said Eskom.
The power utility said it was ramping up load-shedding to “manage the emergency reserves”.
Eskom implemented Stage 2 load-shedding on Monday.
However, the power utility said Wednesday it was “with a great deal of disappointment that Eskom has to inform the public that further failures overnight of generation units has necessitated the implementation of Stage 4 load-shedding starting at 09:00 this morning”.
Eskom said Stage 4 load-shedding will continue until 05:00 on Friday.
“Thereafter load-shedding will be lowered to Stage 2 until 05:00 on Monday morning,” said the struggling power utility.
Eskom said it “would like to apologise for the implementation of load-shedding, and will continuously review the situation and act appropriately as circumstances change”.
Overnight a unit each at Kendal, Duvha, Camden and Kusile power stations tripped. Since then, we have returned four units to service.
“However, these units still need to ramp up to full output, which necessitates a high usage of emergency generation reserves today,” said Eskom.
“This being the fourth day of extremely high diesel usage, the emergency reserves are being depleted faster than can be replenished.
“Stage 4 load-shedding will therefore give us the space required to replenish the emergency reserves and continue to manage the system safely.”
Total breakdowns amount to 15 439MW while planned maintenance is 5 505MW of capacity.
Eskom said it was appealing to all South Africans to help us limit the impact of load-shedding by reducing the usage of electricity and to switch off all non-essential items.
“We will communicate promptly should there be any significant changes to the power system.”
