Possible stage 2 load-shedding if breakdowns spike in winter: Eskom
According to the power utility, its winter outlook published on May 5 stated no load-shedding is expected as long as breakdowns remain under the threshold. However, it said if unplanned outages increase to 15,000MW, the country could face up to 21 days of stage 2 load-shedding during winter.
'As of June 26, unplanned outages totalled 15,137MW, which includes 800MW from Medupi unit 4. With this level of breakdowns, we are operating above our base-case scenario — and this could result in rotational power cuts if the situation worsens,' said Eskom.
Despite the high level of breakdowns, Eskom reported the generation system remains stable, with an available capacity of 30,703MW excluding Kusile unit 6, which has been contributing 720MW to the grid since March though it has not yet entered commercial operation.
'With the combined capacity Eskom is well-positioned to meet tonight's anticipated peak demand of 28,810MW,' said the utility.
Unplanned outages have averaged 14,696MW from June 20 to 26, up by 2,815MW compared to the same time last year.
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