ESKOM UPDATES | After 25 days, load shedding remains suspended

Load shedding remains suspended

On Sunday, Eskom confirmed that load shedding will remain suspended until further notice.

"This decision comes after 25 consecutive days of uninterrupted suspension," the utility said.

Eskom said that sustained generation capacity and adequate emergency reserves have helped to keep the lights on.

Unplanned outages are currently at 13 566MW, while planned maintenance has been reduced to 5 507MW.

A total of 2 660MW is planned to be restored by Monday evening.

The evening peak demand forecast for Sunday is 26 434MW.

Eskom plans to an update on Friday afternoon.

Eskom keeps lights on for 21 days - breaking a record last seen in 2022

Load shedding will continue to be suspended until further notice, Eskom said in a brief statement on Wednesday afternoon.

"This follows a period of 21 consecutive days, and as of midday today, 535 hours without load shedding," said spokesperson Daphne Mokwena. "This is a result of sustained generation capacity, adequate emergency reserves, and reduced electricity demand from the grid.

"The last time Eskom achieved a similar milestone was in June 2022, with 20 consecutive days without load shedding."

It would give a further update on Sunday, the power utility said, adding that there were nonetheless 14 264MW of unplanned outages, while 5 370 MW were out for planned maintenance - totalling 19 634MW of unavailable capacity. Eskom’s evening peak demand for Wednesday is expected to be 28 655MW.

Mokwena added: "While Eskom acknowledges this milestone, it remains committed to the continued implementation of its Generation Operational Recovery Plan to reduce and ultimately eliminate load shedding...Eskom Power Station General Managers and their teams are working diligently to ensure the recovery of additional generating capacity by bringing units from unplanned outages and planned maintenance back into service as soon as possible."

Lights on for 18 days and counting as load shedding remains suspended till further notice

Load shedding will remain suspended until further notice, Eskom confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

"This positive development is attributed to the sustained availability of generation capacity and emergency reserves," said spokesperson Daphne Mokwena., adding that a total of 2 150MW of generation capacity is planned to be restored by Monday.

Unplanned outages had to 12 850MW on Sunday, while planned maintenance stood at 7 368MW.

Eskom set to return 1 800 MW to service after two-week streak with no load shedding

Eskom said in a statement on Wednesday evening that it was anticipating returning another 1 800 MW to service at the end of the week - this on the back of a two-week streak without load shedding. 

Load shedding remains suspended until further notice, it confirmed.

The power utility said it had managed to keep the lights on thanks to "sustained available generation capacity and adequate emergency reserves". 

Eskom is set to give another update on the power system at the weekend. 

 

Load shedding remains suspended

Load shedding will remain suspended until further notice, Eskom said in a statement on Sunday.

"This decision comes after 11 consecutive days without load shedding, owing to sustained available generation capacity and adequate emergency reserves," the statement read.

Eskom indicated a system update would be provided on Wednesday, or if any significant changes occur before then.

"Tonight's evening peak demand is expected to reach 25 224MW. Furthermore, Eskom plans to return a total generation capacity of 1 150MW to service by Monday evening."

Lights on until further notice

Load shedding will remain suspended until further notice, Eskom reaffirmed on Friday afternoon.

This comes after nine consecutive days without power cuts, it said. 

"This decision is a result of sustained available generation capacity and adequate emergency reserves," the power utility said.

A further update is expected on Sunday, or if any significant changes occur. Evening peak demand on Friday is expected to reach 25 465MW.

Load shedding to remain suspended

Load shedding will remain suspended until further notice, Eskom said on Wednesday. 

This is a result of sustained available generation capacity, adequate emergency reserves, and anticipated moderate demand for the week ahead, the power utility said. 

"A total of 2 365MW is planned to be returned to service by Friday evening, while continuing with planned maintenance to ensure improved reliability of our fleet. The evening peak demand tonight is expected to reach 27 613MW," it said. 

Load shedding remains suspended until further notice

Due to sustained generation capacity, adequate emergency reserves  and lower anticipated demand, load shedding will remain suspended, Eskom has announced.

In an announcement on Sunday, the power utility said an additional 3 550 MW is expected to return to service on Tuesday next week, while further updates for load shedding schedules will be provided on Wednesday. 

Evening peak demand for Sunday night is 23 400 MW. Unplanned availability stands at 13 579 MW and planned maintenance is at 7 046 MW. 

Sandton suburbs experiencing supply interruptions

Eskom said on its X account at about 15:10 that it was attending to a supply interruption affecting customers in certain suburbs in the greater Sandton area. Affected suburbs included Morningside, Buccleuch, Kelvin, Eastgate, Frankenwald, Waterfall, Woodmead and Woodlands. The state-owned power firm said it had no estimated time of restoration and apologised.
Responses to the Eskom post on X, formerly known as Twitter, indicated that other suburbs including Rivonia, Edenberg and Diepsloot had also been affected.

Load shedding set to remain suspended on the long weekend

Due to the sustained available generation capacity and the planned return to service of 2 300MW of generation capacity by Friday, along with the anticipated low demand over the long weekend, load shedding will remain suspended until Sunday at 16:00, Eskom said on Wednesday afternoon.

Eskom will provide an update for the week ahead on Sunday afternoon or communicate should any significant changes occur, Eskom added.

The evening peak demand for Wednesday is expected to be 27 465MW.

Load shedding to be suspended on Tuesday afternoon 

Due to the return of six generating units, which improved the available generation capacity, load shedding will be suspended from 16:00 on Tuesday until 16:00 on Wednesday, Eskom said in a brief statement.

Stage 2 load shedding will no longer be implemented from 16:00 , as communicated previously.

"Eskom will provide a further update on Wednesday afternoon or if any significant changes occur," the power utility added.

Evening peak demand for Tuesday night is 27 728MW. Unplanned unavailability is 13 840MW, while planned maintenance is at 5 066MW.

Eskom to suspend daytime load shedding starting tomorrow

Eskom will suspend load shedding through the daytime next week, and implement Stage 2 load shedding in the late afternoon until early morning.

In a statement on Sunday morning, the utility said it will suspend load shedding between 05:00 and 16:00 daily next week, after replenishing emergency reserves over the weekend.

Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 until 05:00 starting on Sunday.

Eskom said that this pattern of load shedding will be repeated until further notice. 

A weekend of load shedding ahead as three units break down

Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 on Friday until 20:00, followed by Stage 3 until 05:00, Eskom said in a statement. 

This comes after three generating units were lost in the past 24 hours.

Stage 2 load shedding will then be in place until 20:00 on Saturday, after which Stage 3 will be implemented again until 05:00 on Sunday. 

The full schedule is in the table below. 

After short reprieve, Eskom announces that load shedding is back

A day after announcing that load shedding was suspended until further notice, Eskom has announced the return of Stage 3.

"In order to replenish the low dam levels at the pumped storage power stations, Stage 3 load shedding will resume from 20:00 tonight until 05:00 on Friday.

"Thereafter, load shedding will be suspended again from 05:00 on Friday until 16:00."

Lights on till further notice, says Eskom 

Due to the lower demand anticipated from tomorrow until the weekend, and an increase in available generation capacity, load shedding will be suspended from 05:00 on Thursday until further notice, Eskom said on Wednesday.

The anticipated demand for Wednesday evening’s peak is 26 109MW, with unplanned outages at 14 335MW and planned maintenance at 6 073MW of generating capacity.

A total of 3 850MW of generating capacity is planned to return to service by Monday evening. 

Stage 2 load shedding on Monday and until further notice 

Power utility Eskom said on Sunday that due to the loss of two generating units over the past 24 hours and the increase of planned maintenance as part of Eskom's plan to improve its generation fleet reliability, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented from 05:00 on Monday until further notice.

Unplanned outages account for 14 641MW of generating capacity, while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance increased to 7 850MW, it said.

"Eskom Power Station General Managers and their teams are working diligently to ensure that additional generating capacity is recovered by bringing units on unplanned outages and planned maintenance back to service as soon as possible," the statement read.

A total of 3 830MW of generating capacity is anticipated to return to service by Wednesday.

Eskom said its evening peak demand on Sunday night was 24 701MW, appealing for users to use electricity sparingly, including by switching off geysers and pool pumps between 17:00 and 21:00.

Your weekend ahead - suspended in the daytime, lights out in the nighttime 

Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented at 16:00 on Friday until 05:00 on Saturday morning, Eskom said in a statement.

Thereafter, load shedding will be suspended from 05:00 on Saturday until 16:00, followed by Stage 1 load shedding until 05:00 on Sunday.

The load shedding pattern implemented on Saturday will be repeated on Sunday as a result of the anticipated lower weekend demand.

A total of 3 100MW of generating capacity is planned to be returned by Monday, Eskom said. 

Evening load shedding escalates to Stage 3 until further notice

Eskom has announced that load shedding will escalate to Stage 3 on Tuesday evening

"Due to the loss of three generating units and the delay in returning a further three generating units to service, Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 today until 05:00 on Wednesday," the utility said. 

"Thereafter, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented until 16:00. This alternating pattern of Stage 2 load shedding from 05:00 until 16:00 and Stage 3 load shedding from 16:00 until 05:00 will be repeated daily until further notice." 

Stage 1 load shedding to kick in at 16:00 

Eskom has said that stage 1 power cuts will start on Sunday afternoon at 16:00. 

Stage 1 will remain in place until 05:00 on Monday, when load shedding will be suspended until 16:00 on Monday.  

Stage 2 cuts will then be implemented until 05:00 on Tuesday."

"The suspension of load shedding from 05:00 until 16:00 and the implementation of Stage 2 load shedding from 16:00 until 05:00 the next day will be repeated daily from Monday until further notice," the utility said.

"This is as a result of the recovery of emergency reserves, the return of three generating units and the anticipated weekday demand." 

Load shedding suspended - briefly - on Saturday and Sunday

Stage 2 load shedding will continue to be implemented until 20:00 on Friday, Eskom said in a brief statement.

Thereafter, Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented until 05:00 on Saturday in order to replenish emergency reserves.

Power cuts will then be suspended from 05:00 on Saturday until 16:00, followed by Stage 2 load shedding until 05:00 on Sunday, when load shedding will again be suspended again until 16:00.

Stage 1 load shedding will then be implemented from 16:00 on Sunday until further notice, Eskom said. 

Daytime load shedding is back 

Stage 2 load shedding will continue to be implemented at 16:00 today, as previously communicated by Eskom. However, at 20:00, Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented until 05:00 on Thursday, Eskom said on Wednesday. 

Thereafter, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented until 20:00, followed by Stage 4 load shedding until 05:00 on Friday. This alternating pattern of Stage 2 load shedding and Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented until further notice because of the delay to return to service three generating units and the need to replenish emergency reserves, the power utility said. 

Unplanned outages account for 16 193MW of generating capacity, while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance has reduced to 6 171MW. A total of 2 100MW of generating capacity is anticipated to be returned to service by Friday

Load shedding suspended until Monday afternoon 

Due to the return of generating units and sufficient emergency reserves, Eskom has announced that load shedding will be suspended until Monday afternoon at 16:00. 

Stage 2 load shedding will then resume until 05:00 on Tuesday morning. 

The power utility said,"The alternating pattern of suspending load shedding from 05:00 until 16:00 and implementing Stage 2 load shedding from 16:00 until 05:00 will be repeated daily until further notice."

2 200 MW of generating capacity is also expected to return on Wednesday. 

Daytime load shedding suspended on Saturday

Due to the return to service of additional generating units on the weekend, Stage 2 will be implemented until 05:00 on Saturday, after which it will be suspended until 16:00, Eskom said in a post on X on Friday evening. 

Stage 2 will then resume until 05:00 on Sunday, and be suspended again during the day. 

The full weekend schedule is below. 

Stage 2 load shedding to continue until further notice

Eskom has announced that due to "sustained adequate emergency reserves to manage the evening peak and electricity demand," Stage 2 load shedding will continue from Tuesday until further notice. 

"Stage 3 load shedding will not be implemented at 16:00 as previously communicated. Eskom will communicate should any significant changes occur," the utility said. 

Eskom sticks to Stage 2 load shedding until Monday afternoon

Eskom will continue implementing stage 2 load shedding, until Monday at 16:00. Thereafter it will implement Stage 3 load shedding in the evenings, from 16:00 until 05:00.

Eskom previously said Stage 3 load shedding would be implemented from 16:00 on Sunday afternoon until Monday morning, but the power utility managed to replenish emergency reserves allowing for a lower stage of load shedding.

"This alternating pattern of Stage 2 load shedding from 05:00 until 16:00 and Stage 3 load shedding from 16:00 until 05:00 will be repeated daily from Monday until further notice," the power utility said.

"A total of 4 170MW of generation capacity is expected to be returned back to service by Wednesday. Eskom will communicate any significant changes should it be required," the power utility said.

  

Load shedding downgraded after shock Kendal outage

Load shedding will be reduced to Stage 2 from 05:00 on Sunday until 16:00, Eskom announced. Thereafter, Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 until 05:00 on Monday. This is thanks to the anticipated recovery of emergency reserves overnight on Saturday and the two generating units expected to return to service by Sunday.

On Thursday, an outage of five generating units at the Kendal power station triggered Stage 4 load shedding.

News24 reported that this was due to an operator error at a water plant at the power station. The error came after nearly a month of pressure on Eskom staff due to a massive water leak at one of the units.

Eskom said that leaking safety valves caused contamination and put pressure on water levels in Kendal's storage tanks.  

Eskom said on Saturday that the recovery of the four units lost at Kendall on Thursday was underway. So far, one unit has been recovered with two more planned to return on Sunday. An announcement on load shedding will be made on Sunday

Stage 4 load shedding is back until further notice

Stage 4 load shedding was implemented in the early hours of Thursday morning, Eskom has announced. 

"Due to the loss of five generating units at Kendal Power Station and a generating unit at Duvha Power Station, Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented at 04:00 today until further notice.

"Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate should any significant changes occur."

Load shedding reduced for the week ahead 

Eskom has announced that stage 2 of load shedding will remain in place until Monday morning at 05:00.

Power cuts will then be suspended until 16:00, followed by stage 2 of load shedding. 

Stage 2 will then be implemented daily between 05:00 and 16:00 for the week. 

The power utility announced that this daily pattern will remain in place until further notice, as it attempts to replenish its emergency reserves and maintain generation capacity. 

"Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate any changes to load shedding should it be required," it said in a statement.

Load shedding suspended on Saturday morning - briefly

Load shedding will continue at Stage 2 overnight, then be suspended from 05:00 on Saturday, Eskom said on Friday afternoon. 

However, Stage 2 load shedding will resume again at 16:00. 

Power cuts will be suspended at 05:00 on Sunday until 16:00, followed by Stage 1 load shedding. 

The full schedule is as per the table below. 

Load shedding drops to Stage 2 until further notice

Eskom has announced that load shedding has dropped to Stage 2 until further notice. 

"The return of additional generating units, adequate emergency reserves, and anticipated lower electricity demand necessitate the reduction of load shedding to Stage 2 from 10:00 today," Eskom said. 

"Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate any significant changes as they occur." 

Load shedding to remain at Stage 3 until further notice

With sufficient emergency reserves, load shedding will remain at Stage 3 from 16:00 today until further notice, Eskom has said.

Eskom previously said that Stage 4 load shedding would be implemented at 16:00.

Power Station Managers will continue to work around the clock to return more generating units to service and improve the available capacity, the utility said.

Evening peak demand for Wednesday is 26 701MW.

Load shedding to be reduced to Stage 3 and Stage 4

While Stage 5 load shedding will continue to be implemented until 05:00 on Tuesday, Eskom says it will then be reduced to Stage 3. 

Eskom said it had returned to service five generating units which will "allow emergency reserves to be adequately replenished by Tuesday morning". This will enable the reduction of load shedding to Stage 3 from 05:00 on Tuesday until 16:00.

Stage 4 load shedding will then be implemented from 16:00 on Tuesday until 05:00 on Wednesday. This alternating pattern of Stage 3 load shedding from 05:00 to 16:00 and Stage 4 load shedding from 16:00 to 05:00 will be repeated daily until further notice, Eskom added. 

Load shedding eases to Stage 5

Stage 5 load shedding will be implemented from midday on Sunday until further notice, Eskom said in a statement.

Eskom says it has replenished its pumped storage dam levels and brought some generation units back to service.

Unplanned outages are at 17 595MW of generating capacity, while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance is at 6 885MW. This means almost 24 500MW is currently offline.

Eskom expects that the peak demand on Sunday evening will reach 25 290MW.  

Stage 6 to remain in force until further notice

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, Eskom said Stage 6 load shedding will remain in force until further notice. The power utility expects to issue an update on the system status on Sunday afternoon.

It said that since Thursday, at least 10 generating units had been taken out of service, five of which were due to boiler tube leaks. "This resulted in insufficient generation capacity. Additionally, the delay in returning three units from planned maintenance also contributed to inadequate generation capacity and increased reliance on emergency reserves," the statement read.

The combination of the loss of generation capacity as well as the need to replenish emergency reserves necessitated Stage 6 load shedding, the power utility reiterated.

Stage 6 load shedding hits SA

Eskom escalated load shedding to Stage 6 on Saturday, until further notice. Two generating units were taken offline and the utility said it needed to replenish the pumped storage dams in preparation for the week ahead.

Eskom generates emergency electricity at three water pumping plants, one near Grabouw in the Western Cape and two in KwaZulu-Natal (near Bergville and near Ladysmith).

During weekends and other off-peak periods, Eskom must pump the water from the bottom to the top dams. This will ensure that there is enough water at peak periods that can flow down the system through the power generators to the bottom dams to generate electricity.

Load shedding upgraded to Stage 4 

Eskom announced that due to two additional generating units being taken out of service for repairs, Stage 4 load shedding was implemented from 02:00 on Friday and is expected to remain in place until further notice. The power utility said its teams were working to return the generation units back online.

"Eskom will communicate should it be required," it said.

Stage 3 load shedding from 22:00 'until further notice'

Eskom has announced that Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 22:00 on Thursday, until further notice. In a statement shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, Eskom said the escalation was "due to the need to replenish the pumped storage dams, which are required to meet the morning and evening peak loads, and a generating unit that was taken offline for repairs over the past 24 hours". 

Load shedding reduced to Stage 1 for four hours on Wednesday

Load shedding will drop to Stage 1 from 10:00 to 14:00 on Wednesday due to sufficient emergency reserves and a slight increase in available generation capacity, Eskom said. 

Stage 2 load shedding will then be implemented from 14:00 until further notice. 

Load shedding to be reduced to Stage 2 from this evening until Monday afternoon

Eskom says Stage 3 load shedding will remain in force until 17:00 on Sunday, before being reduced to Stage 2 this evening until 16:00 on Monday. 

The power utility explained that due to constrained emergency reserves, Stage 3 load shedding was implemented at 02:00 on Sunday, which had stabilised the power system. As a result, this had necessitated a reduction in load shedding to Stage 2 from 17:00 on Sunday until 16:00 on Monday. 

Thereafter, in light of the anticipated weekday electricity demand, Stage 3 load shedding would be implemented from 16:00 on Monday until 05:00 on Tuesday, followed by Stage 2 until 16:00.  It said this pattern of Stage 2 load shedding from 05:00 until 16:00 and Stage 3 load shedding 16:00 until 5:00 would be repeated daily until further notice. 

Eskom said unplanned outages are at 14 341MW of generating capacity, while the capacity for out of service for planned maintenance is at 7 931MW.  It added that its power station general managers and their teams would work to ensure that the 1 450MW of generating capacity is returned to service by Tuesday as planned.  Eskom's lead forecast for the evening peak demand on Sunday is 25 497MW. 

Load shedding increased to Stage 3 to replenish emergency reserves

Eskom has bumped load shedding up to Stage 3 to further replenish emergency reserves in preparation for the week ahead, it said early on Sunday. As a result Stage 3 load shedding has been implemented from 2am on Sunday until further notice. The power utility said it would closely monitor the power system and make further communications if required. 

Load shedding reduced over the weekend

Due to the anticipated lower electricity demand over the weekend, load shedding will be reduced to Stage 2 from 05:00 on Saturday until further notice, Eskom said. It said that it still needed to replenish emergency reserves in preparation for the week ahead. 

Load shedding bumped up to Stage 3

Eskom announced on Wednesday that Stage 3 load shedding would be implemented until further notice. This was "due to the need to replenish emergency reserves and insufficient available generation capacity", it said in a short statement.

"Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate should any significant changes occur."

Night load shedding escalates to Stage 3 

Load shedding will jump to Stage 3 at 16:00 Monday after a delay in the return to service of two generating units.

"Over the past 24 hours, five generation units were taken offline for repairs. Additionally, the return to service of two generating units that were on planned maintenance was delayed due to an opportunity to perform preventative maintenance. These factors have contributed to the shortage of available capacity necessitating the implementation of Stage 3 load shedding from 16:00 today until 05:00 on Tuesday," Eskom said. 

"Thereafter, load shedding will be reduced to Stage 2 until 16:00 on Tuesday. This pattern of Stage 2 load shedding from 05:00 until 16:00 and Stage 3 load shedding from 16:00 until 05:00 will be repeated daily until further notice." 

Five generating units back online, but Stage 2 until further notice

Despite the return to service of five generating units in the last 36 hours, load shedding will remain at Stage 2 until further notice as Eskom replenishes emergency reserves in anticipation of weekday electricity demand, the power utility said on Sunday.

Eskom announced the implementation Stage 2 on Saturday morning. 

"A further outlook will be provided on Wednesday afternoon, or any changes will be communicated if required. Unplanned outages are at 14 759MW of generating capacity, while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance is at 7 639MW," spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said.

"Eskom Power Station General Managers and their teams will continue to work diligently to ensure that the 2 320MW of generating capacity is returned to service by Wednesday as planned," she added. Eskom’s load forecast for the evening peak demand for tonight is 25 005MW.

As a result of four generation units being taken out of service overnight, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented at 05:00 on Saturday 27 January until further notice.

Minimal load shedding this weekend 

Due to the sustained performance of the generation fleet and the anticipated lower weekend electricity demand, Stage 1 load shedding is in force and will continue until 05:00 on Saturday, Eskom said on Friday.

Power cuts will be suspended from 05:00 until 16:00, when Stage 1 load shedding will resume until 05:00 on Sunday.

This pattern of suspending load shedding during the day and implementing Stage 1 load shedding in the evening will be repeated on Sunday, Eskom said.

Daytime load shedding suspended daily - with Stage 1 and 2 in between

Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented until 05:00 on Thursday 25 January, Eskom confirmed on Wednesday. 

Thereafter, load shedding will be suspended between 10:00 and 16:00 daily, with Stage 1 and Stage 2 scheduled in between per the table below. 

Unplanned outages have dropped to 13 250 MW of generating capacity, Eskom said. Planned maintenance is at 7 921 MW. 

Daytime load shedding suspended on Wednesday

Power utility Eskom said on Wednesday load shedding has been suspended from 11:00 until 16:00 due to improved generation capacity.

Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented until 05:00 on Thursday, followed by Stage 1 until 16:00.

Stage 1 and 2 load shedding until further notice

Stage 2 load shedding will continue to be implemented until 05:00 on Wednesday morning, Eskom said on Tuesday. Thereafter, with the anticipated available capacity, Stage 1 load shedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00 followed by Stage 2 from 16:00 to 05:00 on Thursday.

This pattern of implementing Stage 1 from 05:00 to 16:00 and Stage 2 from 16:00 to 05:00 will be repeated daily until further notice.