DESPITE saying that it would implement Stage 1 load shedding on Wednesday, just before lunch-time the power utility announced that it would begin with Stage 2 power cuts from 2pm.
Previously Eskom said that despite returning generation units at Medupi and Majuba power stations to service, it would still need to implement load shedding. Just before 1pm on Monday, it tweeted that it would be moving to Stage 2.
“We regret that load shedding Stage 1 will change to Stage 2 from 2pm until 10pm due to a shortage of capacity.”
Eskom explained that power in the system is severely constrained as demand is constantly increasing.
“We are currently 2 000MW higher than Tuesday. Please switch off electric heaters, geysers, pool pumps and other non-essential appliances.”
On Tuesday evening, the power utility added that it had also synchronised units at the Koeberg nuclear power station back onto the national grid, but that “the progress, however, is still not sufficient to enable us to suspend this current unfortunate period of load shedding”.
