Electricity provider Eskom says it pressing ahead with its summer maintenance strategy to further improve reliability in preparation for winter.
Load-shedding was imposed from Friday night and suspended at 6am on Sunday due to breakdowns which necessitated extended repair times and the uses of emergency reserves.
Eskom said dam levels were fully replenished and open-cycle gas turbines had adequately recovered, ensuring a stable supply. Five coal-fired generation units were also successfully repaired and returned to service. An additional 2,391MW was expected to be restored on Sunday.
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said its summer outlook, published on August 26, remains unchanged as they continue to implement the generation recovery plan.
“The two-year plan has brought about structural improvements to our coal generation fleet, reducing unplanned losses by about 7%. We remain committed to executing the generation recovery plan to further improve our fleet’s reliability and availability, ensuring system stability. This includes adding 1,600MW from Kusile unit 6 and Medupi unit 4 by the end of March,” she said.
The summer outlook had projected that in a scenario where unplanned outages reach 14,000MW, stage 1 load-shedding may be implemented. Should unplanned outages increase to 15,000MW, stage 2 load-shedding could be required.
Mokwena said Eskom’s emergency reserves will be strategically used to manage demand during evening and morning peaks.
“The reserves are closely monitored and will be replenished accordingly. Additionally a total of 4,721MW has been returned to service since Friday, further stabilising the supply.
“Our unplanned losses are at 12,679MW, which is 614MW less than on Friday, indicating improved operational efficiency.
“Planned maintenance outages account for 6,298MW and are aligned with our summer maintenance strategy to further improve reliability in preparation for winter 2025 and beyond.”
TimesLIVE
