Eskom hopes to reduce load shedding stage by weekend, with Stage 3 forecasted for the week ahead

Eskom has released its load shedding schedule for the coming days.

The ailing parastatal said that Stage 5 loadshedding will continue until 05:00 on Saturday morning. Thereafter it will be lowered to Stage 4 until 05:00 on Sunday. It added that a further reduction to Stage 3 will be implemented until 05:00 on Monday.

SCREENSHOT: Eskom's load shedding schedule for the weekend

In a statement, Eskom said that the loadshedding over the weekend will be used to replenish the pumped storage dam levels, which have been utilised extensively, it added, over the past week.

‘’Since Thursday, a generation unit each at Camden, Kriel, Majuba and Matla power stations were taken offline for repairs. A generating unit at Hendrina and two at Kusile power stations were returned to service,’’ said spokesperson, Sikonathi Manthantsha.

The spokesperson predicts that Stage 3 load shedding will persist for most of next week.

‘’A further update will be published on Sunday afternoon, or as soon as there are any significant changes.’’

‘’Eskom is currently experiencing constraints from its diesel suppliers that is affecting the availability of bulk diesel to the Ankerlig and Gourikwa Open Cycle Gas Turbines, which have a combined capacity of 2 000MW. Should this uncertainty of diesel supplies persist, higher stages of loadshedding may be required,’’ he added.

 

Done By: Mitchum George