Stage 5, 4 load shedding set for the weekend

Eskom has announced that load shedding will continue to be implemented at Stage 5 until Saturday morning.

Thereafter, Stages 4 and 3 will be implemented until 05:00 on Monday.

The struggling power utility warned that capacity constraints will persist throughout next week, with current indications that Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented for most of the week.

The weekend power cuts will be used to replenish pumped storage dam levels, which have been utilised extensively over the past week.

Eskom says it’s currently experiencing constraints from its diesel suppliers, “affecting the availability of bulk diesel to the Ankerlig and Gourikwa Open Cycle Gas Turbines, which have a combined capacity of 2 000MW. Should this uncertainty of diesel supplies persist, higher stages of loadshedding may be required.”

Since Thursday a generation unit each at Camden, Kriel, Majuba and Matla power stations were taken offline for repairs.

A generating unit at Hendrina and two at Kusile power stations were returned to service.