Rustenburg – A fire broke out at unit six at Matla Power Station outside Kriel, in Mpumalanga.
According to TV news channel eNCA, the fire started at 2pm due to a suspected fuel leak.
Sources on the ground told the broadcaster that sabotage was ruled out, as it was not easy to access the unit where the fire started.
Extensive damage was caused to the unit which could take up to three months to repair .
Meanwhile, Eskom said Stage 5 load shedding would be downgraded to Stage 4 on Thursday until Sunday, when it was expected to drop to Stage 3.
Further updates would be given if there are any significant changes, Eskom said.
“Since Tuesday morning, a unit each at Camden, Kriel, Majuba, Matla and Duvha power stations were taken off-line for repairs and planned maintenance. In addition, the delay in returning to service a generating unit each at Arnot, Duvha and Hendrina power stations contributed to the capacity constraints,” Eskom said.
A generating unit each at Grootvlei, Camden, Kriel, and Majuba power stations have since returned to service.
“We currently have 6 618MW on planned maintenance, while another 15 996MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns,” the power utility said.
IOL