Large scale load shedding set to start from this week
Eskom plans to begin much needed maintenance, which may lead to load shedding.
Communities and businesses are set for large scale load shedding, set to start from this week onwards.
Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona recently warned that the aging power grid needs extensive maintenance, which wasn’t done regularly as it should have, over the past few years.
The company has been battling to keep up with demands due to limited generating capacity, aging infrastructure and several technical issues at its power stations.
Recently, the Eskom implemented rolling blackouts for the first time this year after several generators broke down.
In order to keep the lights on and have sustainable electricity in the future, the system will have to undergo regular maintenance over the next few months before new generating capacity comes online.
During a media briefing last week, Matona displayed calendar for the next three months, showing that the risk of load shedding will be high.
“We have opted to do things the right way paying for the consequences that are there,” he said.
This is due to maintenance work that simply wasn’t done and now the utility has to catch up.
Last year, the country suffered its worst outages since 2008, hurt by outdated infrastructure and plant failures.
South African power demand typically ranges from around 30,000 to 35,000 megawatts, so the country’s reserves to keep the lights on is only at around 3 per cent.
Eskom hopes that the Medupi power plant, scheduled to come online in June this year will assist with the country’s power damands.
Another five units will follow when the first unit of the new Kusile plant comes online in 2017.
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