Stage 2 load shedding back after weekend of no rolling blackouts

After a weekend of no load shedding, stage 2 power cuts will return on Monday.

“Due to the return to service of Kusile 3, the sustained improved generation performance and the lower than anticipated demand for electricity, loadshedding will be suspended until 16:00 on Monday, when Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented,” Eskom said.

Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the utility will communicate should any significant changes occur.

Turning the corner on load shedding

Meanwhile, summertime should be a lot easier for ordinary South Africans as we have “turned a corner” in the power crisis, according to Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

The minister made the remarks during an update of the energy action plan (EAP) on Sunday.

Ramokgopa struck an optimistic note about the country’s battle against load shedding, saying the restoration of more units at Kusile power station in the next few months could lead to additional energy capacity.

“We are now beginning to turn the corner in relation to additional capacity. I indicated at our last briefing that the Kusile units will be indispensable to resolving this problem. In the short term, it will help us reduce the intensity of load shedding.”

Kusile’s units 1, 2, and 3 were idled almost a year ago due to safety concerns and licensing restrictions.

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Kusile

Ramokgopa said the shutdown resulted in a loss of about 2 400 megawatts (MW) from the national grid. This added considerable strain, particularly during the high-demand winter months.

The other two units of Kusile are expected to return online around 3 November, and when operating at full capacity, the three units will generate more than 2,400MW  of electricity.

This equates to just over two stages of reduced load shedding.

Earlier this year, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy granted Eskom an exemption from the lengthy process required to amend its Atmospheric Emission License, subject to certain strict conditions.

The exemption in terms of Section 59 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (NEMAQA) was granted on 14 March.

This was in response to an application Creecy had received in relation to the Kusile Power Station, which was brought due to the urgent need to alleviate the electricity crisis in the country.

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