{"id":717476,"date":"2023-09-10T14:05:47","date_gmt":"2023-09-10T12:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=717476"},"modified":"2023-09-10T14:05:47","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T12:05:47","slug":"get-ready-for-stage-4-load-shedding-this-week-heres-the-new-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/energy\/717476\/get-ready-for-stage-4-load-shedding-this-week-heres-the-new-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"Get ready for stage 4 load shedding this week – here’s the new schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Power utility Eskom has announced that load shedding will be switched between various stages this week, but will be at stage 4 in the evenings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage 1 load shedding will continue on Sunday (10 September) until 16h00, thereafter stage 4 outages will be in effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday and Tuesday, load shedding will be downgraded to stage 3 between 05h00 and 16h00, and on Wednesday outages will be at stage 2 during those hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All schedules are subject to change at any point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current plan is outlined below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Breakdowns are currently at 16 646MW of generating capacity while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 5 107MW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over a period of 24 hours, no power is being imported from Cahora Bassa due to planned maintenance. This is expected to return to normal levels tomorrow morning, Eskom said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same period, a generating unit at Tutuka Power Station was taken offline for repairs and a generating unit each at Duvha, Kendal, Kriel and two generating units at Arnot power stations were returned to service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delay in returning to service a generating unit each at Hendrina, Kendal, Matimba and Matla power stations is also contributing to the current capacity constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a press briefing on Sunday, electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa attributed the recent escalation in load shedding to a trifecta of issues: demand remains high and often unpredictable; Eskom has suffered several outages; and planned maintenance has ramped up following the winter cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the minister expressed confidence that the electricity situation will improve heading into the last quarter of the year – as the Kusile Power Station will be adding much-needed capacity to the grid, providing a buffer for increased maintenance elsewhere – he did warn that the situation is likely to remain volatile until then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Ramokgopa said that the government and Eskom will not compromise on the ramping up planned maintenance, which will keep the grid under pressure with little room for failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf (planned maintenance) coincides with a number of units failing on their own, then you are exposed. And the only option available to us is intensified load shedding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is a calculated risk. We are going to do this the right way; we are going to fix these units. It\u2019s a short-term pain for long-term gain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedules <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For people living in the major metros, load shedding schedules are available here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n