Eskom extends load shedding suspension
Update
Eskom has announced that load shedding will remain suspended until further notice.
The embattled power utility said that this was due to the sustained improved generating capacity and sufficient emergency reserves.
The reduction in load shedding comes after its surprise return on New Year’s Day, which the National Rationalised Specifications Association of South Africa’s (NRS’s) Vally Padayachee said was due to increased planned maintenance and more generating capacity out for planned maintenance.
Eskom often takes extra units out during the festive period due to the drop in demand in electricity, (hence, the two-week suspension of load shedding at the end of 2023), but Eskom’s generating fleet is now often on the brink.
Despite the reduction in load shedding, independent energy analyst Pieter Jordaan has expressed concerns that Eskom’s coal-fired baseload is stagnating.
The baseload improved to 18.5 GW by the end of 2023, but Jordaan said that this needs to improve to 20.5 GW to minimise load shedding.
In addition, Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF) is another concern, with it needing to improve from just above 50% at the end of 2023 to 70% to end load shedding.
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: South Africa’s big new plan to end load shedding for good
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