South Africa\u2019s struggling state-owned power utility said it expects to implement a second day of controlled blackouts to prevent a total collapse of the electricity grid amid a shortage of capacity.<\/p>\n
Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., which provides about 95% of the nation\u2019s electricity, is still experiencing \u201csevere generation capacity challenges,\u201d it said in a statement late Wednesday. The cuts are \u201ca measure of last resort,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
South Africa\u2019s rand weakened Wednesday after the utility announced that it would cut 2,000 megawatts from the grid due to unplanned breakdowns at its plants. Eskom last implemented the controlled outages it calls \u201cload shedding\u201d more than six months ago.<\/p>\n
The troubled utility, seen as the biggest threat to the economy, has amassed 450 billion rand ($30 billion) of debt and relies on state bailouts to remain solvent. It\u2019s battled to meet demand for electricity because most of its plants are old and have been poorly maintained.<\/p>\n
The government has said it will announce plans by the end of the month to restructure Eskom into three operating units and reorganise its debt. A master plan that will determine the country\u2019s electricity generation mix until 2030 has been approved by the Cabinet, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said Wednesday.<\/p>\n