South Africa Experiences Stage 6 Load Shedding
In the second round of load shedding within a month, Eskom had to elevate power cuts to stage 6 during the early hours of Sunday (23 February), having already implemented stage 3 on Saturday afternoon.
This decision came after several trips at its power stations, but the state utility emphasized that the stage 6 action was “critical” and intended to “replenish emergency reserves and get ready for the week ahead.”
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Read: Stage 3 load shedding till Sunday [Jan 2024]
“Eskom regrets to inform that stage 6 load shedding began at 1:30 am due to multiple unit trips at Camden Power Station and will remain in effect until further notice,” it stated in an emergency WhatsApp alert shortly before 2 am.
“This step followed the initiation of stage 3, driven by several unit trips at Majuba Power Station and a unit trip at Medupi that led to a loss of 3,864 MW in generation capacity, with planned maintenance accounting for 7,506 MW,” Eskom remarked.
“Furthermore, to restore emergency reserves and prepare for the upcoming week, stage 6 load shedding was essential,” it added.
Source: Screenshot from the ESP/EskomSePush app, although this may vary by area/municipality. For instance, Eskom direct customers might experience load limiting instead.
This marks the most significant power cut strategy employed by Eskom since November 2023. However, the power utility had to introduce stage 3 load shedding on 31 January of this year (spilling into the weekend) for the first time in 10 months due to depleted reserves.
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Eskom announced that a media briefing will take place on Sunday at 11 am to provide further details and updates about the power system. Electricity Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa will also participate in the briefing.
While Eskom and government officials may frame stage 6 load shedding as a temporary measure, it remains a troubling indication ahead of the approaching South African winter.
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