Commencing at noon on Friday and lasting until 5 am on Monday, Eskom has declared the implementation of Stage 6 load-shedding, citing a deficiency in generating capacity and emergency reserves as the primary reasons.
This escalation in load-shedding unfolded throughout the week, progressing from stage 2 on Tuesday to stage 4 in the early hours of Wednesday. Eskom’s statement indicated that the heightened measures were necessary due to the loss of five generating units within the last 24 hours, resulting in a significant shortfall in generation capacity. Additionally, the utility expressed the need to replenish its emergency reserves.
Minister in the Presidency responsible for electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, alongside Eskom’s executives, is set to address a briefing on Friday afternoon to shed light on the situation.
Eskom reported that unplanned outages currently stand at 15,901MW of generating capacity, coupled with 5,822MW out of service for planned maintenance. The statement highlighted the relentless efforts of Eskom teams to expedite the return of these additional generating units to service.