Load shedding Stage 2 has returned. This isn’t exactly unexpected, even if it’s unwelcome. South Africa’s recent cold snap, plus a loss of generation capacity, is to blame for the most recent bout.
Timed power outages will begin this evening from 16:00 and will continue through until midnight. If you don’t know the drill by now, we’d like to congratulate you on your solar installation.
Load shedding blues
Due to a shortage of generation capacity, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented at 16:00 –
24:00 this evening; with a high probability of loadshedding on Wednesday and Thursday
evenings. pic.twitter.com/VwomBFY3tj— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) August 16, 2022
The problem this time around is loss of generation. Units were down at Arnot, Tutuka, and Kusile power stations. Additional breakdowns, one unit at Arnot and two more at Tutuka, have brought load shedding back to South Africans.
If you’re a fan of numbers, then SA has around 4,500MW of planned outages at present. Add that to a little over 14,000MW of unplanned outages, and you’ve got a recipe for Stage 2. In other words, ensure your devices are charged and your blankets are sufficiently fluffy. It’ll be a cold one for many of us this evening.
As for when Eskom will end its rolling blackouts, that’s uncertain. It’s definitely taking place tonight, and there’s a high chance it’ll continue on Wednesday and Thurday evenings.