Stage 2 Load Shedding Implemented as Eskom Loses Generating Power


By Oliver Ngwenya    16-May-2021 19:50 UTC+02:00

The South African power utility, Eskom announced on Sunday that it would be implementing stage 2 load shedding with immediate effect from Sunday. This was announced in a power alert issued by the state-owned enterprise. In the alert, the power utility stated that the load shedding was a result of losing a significant amount of power stemming from the loss of ten generating units at seven different power stations.

Eskom said it had lost three generating units at Tutuka Power Station, which is situated in Standerton because they had lost their air compressors. In addition, the power alert added, the state enterprise was also two units short because a unit at Medupi Power Station was forced to shut down while another stopped working because it tripped. The woes of the provider of electricity in South Africa were made worse by yet another loss of one unit each at Kusile, Medupi, and Duvha Power Stations. No reasons were brought forward for the loss of these units at these particular stations. However, at Kriel and Matla Power Stations, the generating units were lost because of a boiler tube leak and a steam leak respectively that resulted in the boilers having to be taken down. The power company said that it had lost a total of 6 044 MegaWatts of generating power in the past twenty-four hours running up to Sunday

The alert stated that the company had no choice but to resort to the much-hated and notorious load-shedding. The statement said Eskom would be implementing stage 2 load shedding and this would start on Sunday at 5 pm and was anticipated to terminate on Tuesday at 10 pm. The statement urged residents to assist the utility to conserve electricity at this difficult time. “We urge the public to help us by reducing consumption while Eskom teams are working around the clock to restore as many of these units to service as possible,” said the statement. Stage 2 means you will be scheduled for load shedding six times over a four-day period for two hours at a time, or six times over an eight-day period for four hours at a time.


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