Eskom implements Stage 2 load shedding from 6pm until Thursday 5am

Eskom has announced the implementation of Stage 2 load shedding, which began at 6pm on Wednesday and is set to continue until 5am on Thursday.

The power utility's decision comes in response to the loss of five generation units ahead of the peak consumption period, prompting further strain on the already beleaguered electrical system.

"Consequently, Stage 2 loadshedding was implemented at 18:25 and will remain in effect until 5:00 tomorrow. We continue to prioritise planned maintenance to strengthen system reliability ahead of the winter months, while ensuring adherence to environmental and licensing conditions," Eskom stated in a statement.

Meanwhile, Eskom has urged the public to use electricity sparingly.

"Eskom sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused and will continue to provide updates as required," the power utility added.

Rotational load shedding cost the South African economy about R2.8 trillion in 2023 as the country experienced the highest and intensified bouts of power cuts than any other year.

However, the economy recovered in 2024 as the country experienced more than 300 consecutive days without load shedding as no power cuts materialised between April and December 2024. 

This was recently said by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in its utility-scale power generation statistics report covering January to December of 2024.

The CSIR report also noted that the national average price of electricity increased by 12.74% this year to reach ~ c/kWh 195, which is much higher than the cost of the latest variable generation resources that ranged between c/kWh 50 and 60 for solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind.  

sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za

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