In an update on Friday, Eskom said it plans to move to stage-4 load shedding on Saturday and stage 3 on Sunday as it continues battling plant breakdowns.
After more than a week of severe load shedding – much of it at either stage 5 or stage 6 – the troubled state-owned utility said it will switch to stage 4 cuts from 5am on Saturday.
It then expects to reduce load shedding to stage 3 at 5am on Sunday until 5am on Monday.
“The capacity constraints will persist throughout next week, and current indications are that load shedding will be implemented at stage 3 for most of the week,” Eskom said in a statement, adding that it will provide a further update on Sunday afternoon.
“The load shedding over the weekend will be used to replenish the pumped-storage dam levels, which have been utilised extensively over the past week.”
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Worryingly, Eskom said it is experiencing constraints from its diesel suppliers, which is affecting the availability of bulk diesel to the Ankerlig and Gourikwa open-cycle gas turbines, which have a combined generating capacity of 2GW.
“Should this persist, higher stages of load shedding may be required.” — © 2022 NewsCentral Media