Expect stage 6 load shedding for the rest of the week – here’s the new schedule
Power utility Eskom says that stage 6 load shedding will be extended over the evening peak for the rest of the week, with plans to ease outages towards the weekend.
Stage 6 load shedding will be implemented every day between 16h00 and 05h00 until Friday. Various stages will be implemented during the day.
Eskom hopes to ease to stage 5 by Friday night.
The schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, 3 May
- Stage 4: until 16h00
- Stage 6: 16h00 to 00h00
Thursday, 4 May
- Stage 6: 00h00 to 05h00
- Stage 4: 05h00 to 16h00
- Stage 6: 16h00 to 00h00
Friday, 5 May
- Stage 6: 00h00 to 05h00
- Stage 4: 05h00 to 16h00
- Stage 5: 16h00 to 00h00
Breakdowns remain persistently high, and are currently at 18,972MW of generating capacity. The generating capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 3,222MW.
Over the past 24 hours a generation unit each at Camden and Tutuka power stations were taken out of service due to breakdowns.
The delay in returning units to service at Arnot, Camden, Duvha, Kendal, Kriel, Lethabo, Matimba, Matla and Tutuka power stations continue to add to the current capacity constraints.
“The team is working around the clock to ensure that generating units are returned to service as soon as possible,” the utility said.
With the start of May, weather conditions in South Africa are expected to get colder with winter fully setting in around June. Warnings have been coming from all sectors, including Eskom itself, that South Africans should prepare themselves for a difficult time.
As colder weather hits, energy demand will spike, and the current energy shortfall will just get even larger.
While authorities have been scrambling to mitigate as much of the potential damage as possible, it is unclear whether there is anything that can actually be done. The only solutions that have been forthcoming will see power returning to the grid from the end of the year into 2024.
In the meantime, Eskom has urged South Africans to limit their energy use where possible.
Schedules
For people living in the major metros, load shedding schedules are available here:
- City of Johannesburg
- City of Ekurhuleni
- City of Tshwane
- City of Cape Town (PDF)
- Nelson Mandela Bay
- eThekwini
- Manguang
- Buffalo City
For access to other load shedding schedules, Eskom has made them available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.
Smartphone users can also download the app EskomSePush to receive push notifications when load shedding is implemented, as well as the times the area you are in will be off.
Read: Former Eskom COO staying to fight load shedding: report
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