Eskom raises load shedding risk for the remainder of 2018

 ·19 Nov 2018
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Eskom is currently not load shedding and the forecast for it is low for the rest of the week.

The power system remains tight, the power utility said on Monday. This comes after load shedding was implemented on Sunday.

“The wider context for the tight system performance is that our generation system currently faces operational challenges, which include deterioration of coal fired power stations, 10 stations with less than 20 coal stock days as per grid code requirement resulting in increased utilisation of emergency resources including open cycle gas turbines (OCGTs),” said Eskom.

The performance of its generation system is below desired levels, it said, thus raising the risk of load shedding for the remainder of 2018.

Eskom Group chief executive Phakamani Hadebe said the utility has put in place a Nine Point Recovery Plan to address the utility’s key operational challenge.

These include fixing new plants, fixing full load losses and trips, fixing units on long-term forced outages, partial losses and Boiler tube leaks among others.

“We encourage residents and businesses to please use electricity sparingly to ease the demand for electricity. Please switch off geysers as well as all non-essential lighting and electricity appliances to assist in reducing demand.”

The utility held a media briefing last week at which it stated that it was undergoing “trying times”.

“Eskom has undergone trying times, during the past couple of years and it’s up to us those who have the privilege to work at Eskom to do their level best to bring this institution where it belongs,” said Hadebe at the briefing.

On Monday, the utility advised its customers to keep checking their load shedding schedules on the Eskom or local municipal website and plan on the assumption that load shedding will take place.


Read: Eskom facing Christmas load-shedding: report

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