Eskom group executive for generation Phillip Dukashe said if things improve, the situation will be assessed on Thursday, and load shedding will probably be suspended on Friday.
EMBATTLED power utility Eskom said on Tuesday that the current bout of load shedding would probably be suspended by Friday.
“We believe that we will be in a position to assess on Thursday evening. Obviously, demand tends to drop on Friday, so probably if things improve, we will then assess on Friday morning (regarding) when we should be stopping,” said Eskom group executive for generation Phillip Dukashe at a media briefing.
“At this stage, best case is that we will be stopping load shedding some time during Friday. That also depends on how we can replenish our reserves because that is important. As we prepare for the start of the next week, we would like to have all our diesel and all our pump storage in a healthy state.”
On Tuesday morning Eskom announced it would be implementing Stage 4 load shedding.
In an alert, Eskom said this follows the tripping of its generation units at Majuba Unit 5 and Tutuka Unit 4.
The implementation of the higher level blackouts came as a heavy blow to South Africans after the power utility implemented Stage 2 load shedding on Sunday, which it would have suspended at 5am on Wednesday, April 20.
At the time, Eskom said Stage 2 load shedding was implemented due to additional generation unit losses and the delayed return to service of generators.
“The loss of four additional generation units at Matla, Tutuka, Duvha and Arnot power stations over the past 24 hours, exacerbated by the delay in units returning to service at Camden, Matla, Grootvlei, and Tutuka power stations has unfortunately, necessitated the implementation of load shedding,” the power utility said.
Eskom said load shedding is implemented only as a last resort to protect the national grid.
