Eskom announced today that Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented from 16:00 – 22:00 tonight.
The energy provider added that thereafter Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented daily at 05:00 – 22:00 until Saturday night.
The loadshedding has been caused by a shortage of generation capacity owing to breakdowns and delays in returning some generating units to service, said Eskom.
“We therefore urge all South Africans to continue using electricity sparingly. Eskom will promptly communicate should there be any significant changes,” said Eskom in a statement.
“The breakdown of a generation unit at Arnot, Duvha, Kendal, Medupi and Tutuka power stations, as well as the delays in returning to service a unit to service at Hendrina Power Station, have exacerbated the capacity constraints.
“On Saturday morning, 03 September 2022, Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station tripped from full power during the routine testing of the control rod system. The process to return the unit to service is under way,” Eskom explained.
“We currently have 4 588MW on planned maintenance, while another 16 142MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns.”
Also read: Why ‘Political Will’ Isn’t The Magic Bullet That Can Fix South Africa’s Energy Crisis
South Africans gave a warm welcome to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement about a “set of actions” to respond to the energy crisis in the country.
The plans involve steps to improve the performance of the power stations run by the power utility Eskom, the accelerated procurement of new energy capacity, and making it easier for businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar. The plan also envisages the fundamental transformation of the electricity sector.
Frustration and anger have been growing in the country over power cuts, which have become a fact of life since April 2008. Not only are they a major inconvenience for households and essential services, the economy is also badly affected. Estimates suggest that power cuts have cost the economy R4 billion (over US$238 million) per day.
The worst of the rolling cuts were experienced during July 2022. These were partly due to illegal industrial action and theft and vandalism at power stations. Hence the president’s announcement.
Before, during and after the recent severe power cuts, political will has often been cited as one of the major reasons for government dragging its feet to introduce solutions. The energy and infrastructure economics advisory firm Meridian Economics argued on its site that “substantial political will” was pivotal to the success of such a strategy.
The impression that’s been created is that political will is the only missing ingredient.
