Stage 1 load shedding until 10pm on Wednesday

Cape Town – Eskom has started implementing Stage 1 load shedding from 5pm today and it is expected to last until 10pm.

The power utility was able to avoid load shedding on Tuesday night despite breakdowns in generating units during the day.

Eskom said on Wednesday afternoon the load shedding is required due to a shortage in generation capacity ’’due to breakdowns and delays in returning generator units to service’’.

Around 14 719 MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns and another 2 220 MW is unavailable due to planned maintenance, Eskom said.

It is working to return more generators to service as soon as possible. Eskom said that the current outlook for the remainder of the week is expected to improve.

The average age of Eskom power stations is around 40 years and it is struggling to keep these units in operation. Its newly built Kusile and Medupi power stations have also experienced breakdowns – due in part to engineering problems – which contributed to load shedding.

IOL