Staff Reporter
South Africa’s main power utility, Eskom, has reintroduced stages two and three of rolling blackouts, disappointing the public as they usher in the new year.
The decision to resume load shedding, as stated by Eskom, is due to intensified maintenance activities and challenges faced by six generating units.
Energy analyst Chris Yelland has expressed deep concerns about the impact of these power disruptions, particularly after a prolonged period of uninterrupted electricity supply.
He emphasized that although units failing to return online is not a new issue, the current scale of unplanned breakdowns raises concerns reminiscent of challenging periods in the past.
“What is surprising is that the level of unplanned breakdowns has reached 16,000 megawatts, this is very hard. This means we are back to the bad old times.” He said.
Yelland also acknowledged the positive step taken with the synchronization of the fifth unit at Kusile but cautioned against expecting a consistent power supply, as the unit is not yet fully operational and is projected to be in commercial service in approximately six months.
Eskom has not provided a clear timeline for when the situation might stabilize, leaving the public and businesses uncertain and potentially facing difficulties in the weeks to come.
