Cape Town - Stage 2 power cuts starting from 10am until midnight Wednesday are expected, following the breakdown of four generation units early in the morning which Eskom says contributed to capacity constraints.
Load shedding will also further continue between 5am and midnight from Thursday to Sunday.
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said there is a likelihood that the stage of load shedding might need to be increased during the evening peaks.
“Eskom will continue to closely monitor the system, adjust and communicate any changes as may be necessary. We appeal to all South Africans to help limit the impact of the shortages by continuing to reduce the usage of electricity and to switch off all non-essential items. A generation unit each at the Kendal and Matimba, as well as two units at the Matla Power Station broke down this morning. This reduced generation capacity by 2 400MW, adding to the ongoing capacity constraints,” he said.
Eskom is also experiencing a delay in returning to service a unit at Kusile Power Station, which is now expected to return to service on Thursday.
“We currently have 3 630MW on planned maintenance, while another 15 277MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns. Eskom cautions the public that as the shortage of generation capacity persists, the system will continue to be constrained with an elevated risk of load shedding over the coming weeks. We would like to remind the public that load shedding is implemented only as a last resort to protect the national grid,” said Mantshantsha.
The public has been urged to use electricity sparingly in the mornings and evenings.