Eskom says that its systems are under severe strain, and that any further deterioration to its generating units will force the power utility to implement load shedding once again.<\/p>\n
The group has been hit by generating unit trips over the last few days, where at one stage eight units were offline simultaneously.<\/p>\n
Six units have since been returned to service, it said, but four units then broke down overnight, and in the early hours of Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
There has also been a delay in returning other units to power, it said.<\/p>\n
“Any further deterioration in the generating performance may necessitate the implementation of load shedding at short notice,” it said.<\/p>\n
“As the aged infrastructure is unreliable and volatile, this constrained power system is expected to persist for the rest of the week, particularly as the cold front hits.”<\/p>\n
Breakdowns currently stand at 11,900MW of capacity, adding to 4,350MW currently offline for planned maintenance.<\/p>\n
For context, Eskom has previously noted that unplanned breakdowns need to be below 9,500MW to avoid load shedding.<\/p>\n
The power utility has managed to keep the national grid in check by implementing ‘load reduction’ – taking targeted areas offline, where the system is being overloaded by illegal connections in high density areas.<\/p>\n
“We urge the people of South Africa to help reduce electricity usage in order to assist Eskom to keep the lights on,” it said.<\/p>\n