Eskom weekend load shedding update

·27 Feb 2015

Eskom says that the chances of load shedding on Friday (27 February) is medium to high, despite the return ‘of some power station units’.

The group was forced into stage 2 load shedding on Thursday.

“As with a constrained and vulnerable power system, any changes on the system could impact the possibility of load shedding at short notice,” Eskom said.

The group said in a system update earlier in the week:

Friday (27 February): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 29,563 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 29,521 MW.

Saturday (28 February): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 29 430 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 28 324 MW.

Sunday (01 March): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 29,620 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 28 583 MW.

Last week, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown said that Medupi’s unit six turbine was now running at optimum speed.

This paves the way for the synchronisation of unit six, which she expected to happen “within weeks”, the minister said.

Browne said government was fast-tracking regulations to enable Eskom to boost its supply by signing contracts with private-sector power producers.

“By April 2015 this will add 1000 megawatts (to the grid),” she said.

Brown said the that government is also hatching a plan to claw back the R4.75 billion owed to it by municipalities.