Eskom has suspended loadshedding on Sunday morning, following a temporary setback that necessitated the implementation of loadshedding over the weekend.
The State-owned power utility said it has suspended loadshedding as of 6am on Sunday due to the recovery of sufficient emergency reserves.
This follows more than 10 months of uninterrupted electricity supply, reflecting the effectiveness of the Generation Recovery Plan.
This past Friday, Eskom announced that it had encountered several breakdowns over the past week, necessitating extended repair times and the full use of its emergency reserves.
“As promised, Eskom has since replenished these reserves, with dam levels fully replenished and open-cycle gas turbines adequately recovered, ensuring a stable supply. Additionally, five coal-fired generation units have been successfully repaired and returned to service, adding a total of 2 930 megawatts (MW) to the grid.
“An additional 2 391 MW is expected to be restored today, Sunday, February 02, 2025. With loadshedding largely behind us, the structural improvements and efficiency gains we have made in our coal-fired generation fleet are secure, along with the over R16.30 billion saved in diesel costs from 1 April 2024 to 30 January 2025,” Eskom said in a statement on Sunday.
The power utility added that Eskom’s Summer Outlook, published on 26 August 2024, remains unchanged.
“Currently, unplanned outages stand at 13 279 MW and continue to trend downward, averaging 12 087 MW. Planned maintenance outages account for 6 298 MW and are aligned with our summer maintenance strategy to further improve reliability in preparation for winter 2025 and beyond,” the utility said.
With available capacity of 27 957 MW, and the evening’s peak demand forecast of 24 456 MW, Eskom assured that it will meet electricity demand.
Isolated network overloading
Eskom said the utility continues to face network overloading issues in certain local areas due to illegal connections, vandalism, meter tampering, unauthorised network operations, theft of network equipment, and purchasing electricity from unlicensed vendors.
Eskom has urged customers to avoid illegal connections, as “this can negatively impact the entire local community.”
“It is also essential for customers to ensure they purchase electricity only from authorised vendors,” the utility said.
Eskom has also urged the public to help protect the integrity of the power network, by reporting any illegal activities to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.
The utility said it will provide an update on Friday or promptly communicate any significant changes as soon as they occur. – SAnews.gov.za
