Stage 4 loadshedding lasts longer
South Africa’s state-owned electricity utility company, Eskom, has announced that Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented continuously until further notice.
Eskom has stated that this decision has been made due to several power station breakdowns, as well as delays in the return to service of several other units.
“We regret the inconvenience caused by this loadshedding, but it is unfortunately necessary to prevent a total blackout,” said an Eskom spokesperson. “We request members of the public to continue assisting by reducing their electricity usage and using it sparingly.”
According to Eskom, a generating unit each at Camden, Grootvlei, Lethabo and Majuba power stations has suffered breakdowns and is undergoing repairs, while units at Kriel and Lethabo have been returned to service. However, the return to service of units at Duvha, Matla, and Tutuka has been delayed.
“Planned maintenance to 6 049MW, combined with the 17 163MW of generating capacity currently offline due to breakdowns, has put immense pressure on our system,” the spokesperson added.
Eskom has assured the public that they will publish a further update as soon as any significant changes occur. Until then, South Africans are urged to prepare for the continuous Stage 4 loadshedding.
