Eskom has announced the suspension of load shedding following the recovery of generation capacity and replenishment of emergency reserves. The suspension began at 5 am on Wednesday, as stated by the power utility.
Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, noted, "We maintain our guidance that load shedding is largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet." He emphasized the focus on eliminating load shedding as a structural constraint on the economy. He also mentioned the technical issues related to electrical and control systems within auxiliary parts of power stations.
The suspension follows a weekend of Stage 3 and Stage 6 load shedding, with Stage 4 on Monday and Stage 2 on Tuesday. Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, commented on maintenance efforts, stating, "Our efforts have delivered a 99% electricity availability rate over Eskom's current financial year, from 1 April 2024 to 21 February 2025, saving R17 billion in diesel costs." Planned maintenance currently stands at 6 660MW, aligning with the company's summer period maintenance strategy.
Nxumalo reaffirmed the commitment to prevent a return to the severe load-shedding levels of 2023. Electricity and Energy Minister Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa clarified that recent load shedding was not due to sabotage but technical issues. Despite 300 days of uninterrupted power supply, setbacks included the loss of units at Majuba and Camden power stations. Ramokgopa stated, "The setbacks we experienced are regrettable, but we are now able to bounce back, we are coming back much faster than we thought."
Source: SA News