Eskom downgrades load shedding to Stage 1

Eskom has confirmed that load shedding has been downgraded from Stage 2 to Stage 1, as some of the generating units which had not been functioning return to service.

Stage 1 load shedding will take place from 6am until 11pm on Friday.

The struggling energy utility says its pumped storage schemes have been “sufficiently replenished”, and it is working “to improve on the levels of diesel at our open cycle gas turbine generators”.

While Eskom says it will use these emergency reserves on Friday, it added that it would attempt “to use as little diesel as possible” in a bid to manage its costs.

The utility calls on South Africans to “reduce demand”.

#POWERALERT1
Date:10 January 2020

Stage 1 loadshedding will be implemented from 06h00 until 23:00 today @SABCNewsOnline @IOL @eNCA @ewnupdates @News24 @Fin24 @TimesLIVE @CityPowerJhb @CityofJoburgZA @CityTshwane @City_Ekurhuleni @eThekwiniM https://t.co/tTBzQezwXa pic.twitter.com/qhpTv7nEfh

— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) January 10, 2020

Eskom previously confirmed it would be implementing Stage 2 load shedding between 9pm on Wednesday night and 6am on Friday morning.

It was initially announced that load shedding would take place until 8am on Thursday.

This comes after breakdowns caused the loss of 13,543MW from the grid, according to the power utility.

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