Eskom ramps up rolling blackouts to Stage 4 until further notice

Eskom says it will be implementing Stage 4 rolling blackouts until further notice. The cashstrapped power utility has been implementing lower stages of rolling blackouts during the day in the last few days.

However, it has now announced Stage 4 will be implemented night and day until it makes another announcement.

Eskom says a number of generating units at power stations have yet again broken down.

The power utility is battling to maintain aging coal fired power stations and is hoping that new solar and wind power plants will assist in reducing the level of rolling blackouts.

Western countries have announced around eight and a half billion dollars in soft loans and grants to assist South Africa in its just transition from coal to renewable electricity generation.

#POWERALERT1

Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented continuously until further notice pic.twitter.com/h4pMTl6OL2

— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) January 29, 2023

Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) says its strategic goal is to end the rolling blackouts before the end of the year or reduce it to at least to Stage 2.

This has emerged at the governing party’s NEC Lekgotla at Esselen Park, east of Johanesburg.

In his political overview, President Cyril Ramaphosa tabled some of the interventions to end load shedding.

ANC NEC Lekgotla I SG Fikile Mbalula and new spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu addresses the media:

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