Eskom warns of increased risk of power cuts

South African state power utility Eskom sees an increased risk of rotational power cuts in a tightly balanced system, Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter said on Wednesday.

De Ruyter said at the moment the utility was battling a total of unplanned load losses of some 14,444 megawatts or around a third of total installed capacity in Africa’s most industrialised economy.

“It is disappointing that a new plant is not performing as it should and clearly that is indicative of the state of our new-build plants that they are not delivering as they should,” he said of the latest breakdown at the new Kusile coal-fired power station.