Eskom to implement stage-2 power cuts on Monday

Eskom said it would implement stage-2 rotational power cuts on Monday from 5pm to 10pm after breakdowns at its coal-fired power stations.

A generation unit each at its Majuba and Medupi power stations broke down, Eskom said in a statement, warning there was a high risk of further outages in the coming weeks if the shortage in generation capacity persists.

Stage-2 scheduled outages require up to 2GW to be shed from the national grid.

Eskom’s ageing coal fleet is highly prone to faults, and government plans to add additional capacity to the grid have been sluggish.

Eskom implements load shedding to prevent a total blackout and replenish emergency generation reserves.  — Bhargav Acharya, (c) 2022 Reuters