Johannesburg, South Africa (ADV) – South Africa’s power utility Eskom recently disclosed that controlled blackouts will continue through after a cyclone that hit neighbouring Mozambique curbed power imports, African Daily Voice has learnt.
“It appears unlikely that the imports from Mozambique will be restored in the next few days,” Eskom said in a statement.
The utility planned to build up water reserves for additional power to help the grid avoid further cuts during the week.
“Stage 4 power cuts, the highest level that has been implemented by the utility, reflects the unreliability of ageing coal stations, a reliance on imports and defects in even the newest plants built. That level of electricity rationing will be implemented,” reads the statement issued by Eskom.
The fourth straight day of rotational power cuts, known as load-shedding, is intended to protect the system from a total collapse.
According to some reports even today the country is still experiencing the power cuts.
“Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented on Monday, 18 March from 9am to 11pm,” said the power utility on Monday.
Monday’s load shedding follows on load shedding seen throughout the course of the weekend. Through the course of the weekend, the power utility scaled up its load shedding schedule from Stage 2 up to Stage 4.
“We remind customers that load shedding at Stage 4 is no cause for alarm as the system is being effectively controlled,” said the power utility, who added that load shedding is a highly controlled process implemented to protect the system and to prevent a total collapse of the system or a national blackout.
During Stage 4 load shedding, approximately 80% of the country’s demand is still being met.
The power utility is also scheduled to implement up to Stage 4 load shedding on Tuesday.
On Saturday Eskom scaled up load shedding from Stage 2 all the way to Stage 4.
In a statement on Saturday night, the utility said it would continue load shedding throughout the night in an effort to build up necessary water reserves in the pump storage scheme.
While it had scaled up load shedding to Stage 4 on Saturday, Eskom experienced a further decline in water reserves, which was used to supplement generation capacity.
The management of the diesel and water resources is essential to ensure that the impact of the potential stage of load shedding in the week ahead can be reduced.
Stage 4 load shedding also came as a result of the loss of capacity which included imports from Mozambique.
Stage 2 calls for 2000MW, Stage 3 calls for 3000MW, and Stage 4 calls for 4000MW to be rotationally load shed nationally at a given period.
Load shedding is conducted rotationally as a measure of last resort to protect the power system from a total collapse or blackout.
The power utility has appealed to customers to switch off geysers during the day as well as all non-essential lighting and electricity appliances to assist in reducing demand.
Customers are advised to keep checking their load shedding schedules on the Eskom and their municipal website.
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