High chance of load shedding, Eskom warns

Eskom warned on Monday of a high risk of load shedding, especially during the evening peak from 5pm, due to a “continued shortage of generation capacity”.

The state-owned electricity utility said that although several generating units are expected to return to service during the day on Monday, the risk of load shedding is high – particularly if there are any further breakdowns at its ageing fleet of coal-fired power plants.

If load shedding is implemented, it will likely happen between 5pm and 10pm, the company said.

It said 14.6GW of capacity was unavailable on Monday morning due to unplanned breakdowns, while 5.2GW was out due to its maintenance programme.

Eskom warned of a heightened risk of load shedding in the coming weeks as it expects the shortage of generation capacity to persist.

A cold front is also expected to sweep across South Africa this week, reaching the economic hub of Gauteng on Thursday and bringing winter rain with it. This is likely to push up consumer demand for electricity. The maximum temperature in Johannesburg is currently expected to be just 14 degrees on Thursday, according to the South African Weather Service.  – © 2022 NewsCentral Media