5, 4, 3… The load shedding schedule for the weekend

In an update on Friday, Eskom said it plans to move to stage-4 load shedding on Saturday and stage 3 on Sunday as it continues battling plant breakdowns.

After more than a week of severe load shedding – much of it at either stage 5 or stage 6 – the troubled state-owned utility said it will switch to stage 4 cuts from 5am on Saturday.

It then expects to reduce load shedding to stage 3 at 5am on Sunday until 5am on Monday.

“The capacity constraints will persist throughout next week, and current indications are that load shedding will be implemented at stage 3 for most of the week,” Eskom said in a statement, adding that it will provide a further update on Sunday afternoon.

“The load shedding over the weekend will be used to replenish the pumped-storage dam levels, which have been utilised extensively over the past week.”

Read: Gordhan says crippling power cuts to ease

Worryingly, Eskom said it is experiencing constraints from its diesel suppliers, which is affecting the availability of bulk diesel to the Ankerlig and Gourikwa open-cycle gas turbines, which have a combined generating capacity of 2GW.

“Should this persist, higher stages of load shedding may be required.”  — © 2022 NewsCentral Media

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