Durban - Eskom as announced that Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 5pm - 10pm from tonight (Friday), continuing on Saturday and Sunday. This, while a cold front, along with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and snow, have been forecast for parts of the country.
“Load shedding will be repeated at the same time on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Eskom will continue to closely monitor the system, adjust and communicate any changes as may be necessary,” Eskom said in a short statement.
"We currently have 3 405MW on planned maintenance, while another 15 534MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns. Eskom appeals to all South Africans to help limit the impact of load shedding by reducing the usage of electricity and to switch off all non-essential items.
“Eskom would like to remind the public that load shedding is implemented, only as a last resort, to protect the national grid. We therefore urge all South Africans to continue using electricity sparingly, especially between 5am – 9am, and 4pm – 10pm,” the power utility said.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Eskom could be forced to implement higher stages of load shedding. According to Eskom’s chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer, the utility is currently using nine million litres of diesel a day to keep its systems running and that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and subsequent sanctions imposed on the country, have left diesel reserves in a precarious state, on a global scale.
Considering this, he said South Africa’s heavy reliance on diesel reserves to maintain the electrical grid could mean that Eskom will be forced to announce Stage 8 load shedding in the near future.
IOL