Eskom pushing load shedding higher – here’s the new schedule
Power utility Eskom says that load shedding will be escalated further, moving to a rotation of stage 3 and stage 4.
The previous schedule was a rotation between stage 2 and stage 4.
The group said the escalation is due to higher demand, which has pushed to about 33,000MW given the much colder weather hitting parts of the country.
This has been exacerbated by reduced generating capacity and has required the extensive use of Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) and pump storage generation over the past 36 hours.
To preserve the emergency reserves, stage 4 load shedding will be implemented from 14h00 on Tuesday (11 July) until 05h00 on Wednesday.
Thereafter, stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 05h00 until 14h00, followed by stage 4 load shedding from 14h00 until 05h00 on Thursday.
This pattern will continue to be implemented daily until further notice, it said.
Tuesday, 11 July
- Stage 2: until 14h00
- Stage 4: 14h00 to 00h00
Wednesday, 12 July
- Stage 4: 00h00 to 05h00
- Stage 3: 05h00 to 14h00
- Stage 4: 14h00 to 00h00
Thursday, 13 July
- Stage 4: 00h00 to 05h00
- Stage 3: 05h00 to 14h00
- Stage 4: 14h00 to 00h00
In addition to demand jumping to 33,000MW, outages have also increased to 16,313MW of generating capacity, it said.
This adds to planned maintenance outages which has been reduced to 3,478MW.
Over the past 24 hours, a generating unit each at Arnot, Matla and Medupi power stations was returned
to service.
In the same period, a generating unit at Matla and two generating units at Kriel power stations were
taken out of service due to breakdowns.
The delay in returning to service a generating unit at Kendal and two generating units at Tutuka power stations are contributing to the current capacity constraints.
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: Another positive shift for load shedding in South Africa
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