Breaking News: We are back to Stage 6 Loadshedding

Eskom announces stage 6 load-shedding

Eskom has announced that it will implement stage 6 load-shedding from 21:00 on Tuesday, 31 January 2023, until 05:00 on Wednesday, 1 February.

The power utility said stage 5 load-shedding will run from 05:00 on Wednesday until further notice.

However, in a table accompanying the statement, Eskom indicated that it hopes to reduce its rotational power cuts to stage 4 from Friday morning.

“Stage 5 load-shedding will be implemented from 12:00 this afternoon until 21:00 tonight. Thereafter, stage 6 load-shedding will be implemented until 05:00 tomorrow morning,” Eskom said in a statement.

“Stage 5 load-shedding will then be implemented continuously from 05:00 on Wednesday until further notice.”

Eskom attributed the need to increase load-shedding to the breakdown of six generation units over the past 24 hours.

There have also been delays in returning seven units at various power stations to the grid.

“In the last 24 hours, six generating units have suffered breakdowns, of which a unit each at Duvha and Hendrina has not yet returned to service,” the state-owned power utility said.

“In addition, a generating unit each at Matla and Arnot had been returned to service. There is a delay in returning a generating unit each at Duvha, Kendal, Grootvlei, and Kriel power stations.”

The power utility currently has 4,654MW of generation capacity offline for planned maintenance, and a further 18,123MW is unavailable due to breakdowns.

Eskom said it would publish a further update if any significant changes occur and urges South Africans to use electricity sparingly.

A load-shedding timetable for the week ahead is provided in the table below.

source of table: MyBroadband  (It’s better than the Eskom one)

Important information:

Every stage includes the stages before them, i.e. stage 4 includes stages 1, 2,3, and 4.

Stage 1 requires 1000MW,
Stage 2 requires 2000MW,
Stage 3 requires 3000MW,
Stage 4 calls for 4000MW,
Stage 5 calls for 5000MW,
Stage 6 calls for 6000MW,
Stage 7 calls for 7000MW,
Stage 8 calls for 8000MW to load shed nationally at a given period rotationally. Load Shedding is conducted rotationally as a measure of last resort to protect the power system.

Eskom continues to appeal to residents and businesses to use electricity sparingly during this period. Please switch off geysers as well as all non-essential lighting and electrical appliances to assist in reducing demand.