Amidst an ongoing power crisis, South Africa’s leading power utility, Eskom, has announced an intensified load shedding plan, escalating to Stage 3, due to a significant shortage in generation capacity. The utility stated that this stringent measure is essential and will persist until Saturday, with a subsequent reduction to Stages 1 and 2 over the weekend.
The current shortfall in generation capacity has compelled Eskom to enforce Stage 3 load shedding, effective from 16:00 today, and will extend until 05:00 on Saturday, followed by Stage 2 load shedding from 05:00 to 05:00 on Sunday. Further, Stage 1 load shedding will be in place until 16:00 on Sunday.
For a comprehensive understanding, here is a breakdown of the load shedding schedule:
Friday, 17 November:
- Stage 3: 00:00 to 05:00
- Stage 3: 05:00 to 16:00
- Stage 3: 16:00 to 00:00
Saturday, 18 November:
- Stage 3: 00:00 to 05:00
- Stage 2: 16:00 to 00:00
- Stage 2: 16:00 to 00:00
Sunday, 19 November:
- Stage 2: 00:00 to 05:00
- Stage 1: 05:00 to 16:00
- Stage 2: 16:00 to 00:00
Eskom emphasized its vigilant monitoring of the power system and assured prompt communication in case of any alterations or additional load shedding requirements.
Presently, unplanned outages have resulted in a deficit of 17,391MW in generating capacity, compounded by delays in restoring service to four generating units, including Koeberg Unit 1. Additionally, 4,654MW of capacity remains out of service for planned maintenance.
To address this shortfall, approximately 4,700MW of generating capacity is anticipated to be restored by Sunday evening. Eskom’s teams are working tirelessly to expedite the return of these additional generating units to service.
Eskom’s projection for the evening peak demand stands at 27,668MW. The utility expressed gratitude towards those who have responded to the call for judicious electricity use, particularly by minimizing consumption through actions such as geyser and pool switch-offs.
For residents in major metropolitan areas, load shedding schedules are accessible for:
- City of Johannesburg
- City of Ekurhuleni
- City of Tshwane
- City of Cape Town (PDF)
- Nelson Mandela Bay
- eThekwini
- Manguang
- Buffalo City
Moreover, Eskom has made other load shedding schedules available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za for wider accessibility.
Smartphone users are encouraged to download the EskomSePush app to receive push notifications regarding the implementation of load shedding, including specific times when their areas will be affected.
Eskom remains committed to managing the power crisis diligently, urging continued support and cooperation from the public in their efforts to stabilize the electricity supply across South Africa.
