Share

Early-morning breakdowns, but Eskom not expecting load shedding

Eskom said on Friday morning that it does not expect any load shedding during the day, despite what it described as a constrained and vulnerable electricity system.

Generating plants are still performing at very low levels of reliability, Eskom said, with some unplanned breakdowns at 06:00 on Friday morning.

Loadshedding will only be implemented if absolutely necessary, the power utility promised. It added that there is currently sufficient diesel for its open cycle gas turbines and water at the pumped storage schemes to supplement the shortage of capacity, if required.

Unplanned outages above 9 500 MW mean Eskom has to resort to emergency power generation by using open cycle gas turbines and pumped-storage hydroelectric plants. These are very expensive ways of generating power, particularly the gas turbines, which require large quantities of diesel.

The system is closely monitored, but any unexpected shift, such as additional unplanned breakdowns, could result in load shedding at short notice.

Eskom has not yet provided an indication of the prospects of load shedding for the weekend.

Find your load shedding schedule here.

* Compiled by Carin Smith

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.02
-0.6%
Rand - Pound
24.01
-0.5%
Rand - Euro
20.53
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.35
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.6%
Platinum
900.40
+0.4%
Palladium
998.40
-0.3%
Gold
2,210.05
+0.7%
Silver
24.65
+0.0%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,079
+0.6%
All Share
74,269
+0.5%
Resource 10
56,875
+2.2%
Industrial 25
103,593
+0.3%
Financial 15
16,463
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders