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Power alert: Mixed bag of weekend load shedding ahead
South Africans have been putting up with load shedding for 16 years and this weekend will be no exception. Here's the new schedule.
Eskom plans to ease load shedding this weekend. Image:: iStock
Eskom announced on Friday that it will maintain stage 6 load shedding until 5am on Saturday, scaling down to stage 3, and then escalating back to stage 5.
Sunday will see the schedule move from stage 5 to stage 4 and back to stage 6. It said that load shedding should be reduced this weekend due to lower demand.
The embattled power utility, however, cautioned that changes could be implemented at short notice to the load shedding schedule.
“Breakdowns currently stand at 18 713MW of generating capacity while the generating capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 3 222MW,” Eskom said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
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Planned weekend load shedding schedule:
Friday, 12 May
- Stage 6: Until 12am
Saturday, 13 May
- Stage 6: 12am 5am
- Stage 3: 5am to 4pm
- Stage 5: 4pm to 12am
Sunday, 14 May
- Stage 5: 12am to 5am
- Stage 4: 5am to 4pm
- Stage 6: 4pm to 12am
Monday, 15 May
- Stage 6: 12am to 5am
- Stage 4: 5am to 4pm
- Stage 5: 4pm to 12am
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Update on generating units
According to Eskom, a generating unit each at Hendrina, Kriel and Lethabo power stations have returned to service during the past 24 hours.
In the same period, a generating unit each at Kendal, Kriel, Medupi and Tutuka power stations were taken out of service due to breakdowns.
In addition, the delay in returning units to service at Arnot, Kendal and Matla power stations continue to add to the current capacity constraints.
“The team is working around the clock to ensure that generating units are returned to service as soon as possible,” Eskom said.
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Load shedding schedules for major metros
- City of Johannesburg
- City of Ekurhuleni
- City of Tshwane
- City of Cape Town (PDF)
- Nelson Mandela Bay
- eThekwini
- Manguang
- Buffalo City
Eskom has made other load shedding schedules available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.
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