Eskom: No load shedding is expected on Monday 6 January

Load shedding is expected to be kept at bay on Monday 6 January, following a particularly disruptive weekend resulting from numerous unplanned breakdowns at Eskom.

After a ‘conveyor belt failure’ at Medupi power station in Limpopo plunged the power utility into a tailspin on Saturday, South Africans were burdened with Stage 2 load shedding. The return of rotational cuts – which were halted during the December festive season, after a protracted period of powerlessness – was met with both shock and disappointment, especially since president Cyril Ramaphosa had promised to keep the lights on well into January 2020.

‘Back to work’ threatened by load shedding

As most South African businesses and industries returned to full operational flow, serious concerns surrounding Eskom’s generational capacity mounted. However, despite an increase in electrical demand, as the gears of production spring into action following the holiday period, Eskom noted that load shedding would be halted.

The embattled power utility, with new CEO Andre de Ruyter at the helm, explained that diesel and water reserves had been replenished and that while ‘unplanned breakdowns’ still remained at a critical level, Eskom would be able to mitigate load shedding.

On Sunday evening, after almost 24 hours of rotational load shedding, the state owned enterprise announced:

“Load shedding will be terminated at 11 pm this evening, earlier than anticipated as our water levels at pumped storage schemes have been adequately replenished. We have managed to conserve diesel at our open cycle gas turbine generators, and continue to work to replenish the diesel levels.

The system remains constrained and vulnerable, with unplanned breakdowns at 13,041 MW as at 9 pm on Sunday 5 January 2020.”

No load shedding is expected tomorrow, Monday 06 January 2020. However, should there be a significant shift in plant performance and an increase in unplanned breakdowns, load shedding could be implemented at short notice.”

Blackouts could return at short notice

Eskom added that, should there be a dramatic shift in the delicate supply and demand balance, it would inform citizens of load shedding measures. In the meantime, the power utility has pleaded with South Africans to reduce their electricity usage while engineers attempt to lessen the prevalence of unplanned breakdowns.