Eskom may have to implement stage-8 load shedding this winter if its interventions are not effective, said group executive for transmission Segomoco Scheppers in a briefing on Thursday.
The stage-8 power cuts would require up to 8GW to be shed from the national grid, and could mean even longer hours without electricity.
Eskom has not yet officially gone beyond stage-6 power cuts, but many households and businesses are already facing electricity outages of more than 10 hours a day as South Africa faces its worst power crisis on record.
“This is going to be a very difficult winter,” Scheppers said. He sought to ease fears of a national blackout, saying the risk was “very low”. — Nellie Peyton and Carien du Plessis, (c) 2023 Reuters