• Eskom has implemented rotating Stage 3 and Stage 4 outages until further notice.
• This as several of its generating units are offline due to repairs, coupled with increased planned maintenance ahead of the winter period.
• March saw a brief respite from higher levels of loadshedding, with Eskom claiming improvements to its grid at the time.

On Sunday Eskom announced the loadshedding schedule for the upcoming week, with Stage 3 implemented on Monday morning, and Stage 4 set for the afternoon and evening periods.

So according to the loadshedding schedule outlined by the utility, Stage 3 will run from 05:00 to 16:00, thereafter Stage 4 will run until 05:00.

This Stage 3, Stage 4 pattern is set to continue “until further” notice, placing South Africans back to where they were at the beginning of March.

Rotational blackouts returned with a vengeance last week after a brief but welcome period of reduced loadshedding.

Loss of generation capacity coupled with a surprise increase in demand forced Eskom to implement higher levels of outages as the week closed.

According to Eskom’s Twitter announcement, breakdowns across its power stations have removed 15 148MW of generating capacity from the grid, while planned service has taken a further 7 417MW offline.

Eskom says this is due to an increase of planned maintenance ahead of the winter period. The utility has also managed to return four generating units to service over the last day or so, including units at Kriel, Matimba, Matla and Tutuka power stations.

However, and likely the cause of the current level of loadshedding, Eskom has lost a generating unit each at Duvha, Hendrina and Kriel power stations due to repairs.

Near the ides of March, Eskom said that it was seeing a steady improvement in its energy generation, leading to lower stages of blackouts. At that time it said that it had hit an energy availability of 70 percent across its coal-fired power stations.

The beginning of April also saw Eskom’s latest controversial electricity tariff hike begin affecting its Direct customers. After approval by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), Eskom is set to increase its electricity prices by 18.49 percent.

Municipal customers are awaiting 1st July to start paying with the increase applied.

[Image – Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash]