Stage 6 load-shedding to stay until 11pm
Eskom has announced unprecedented stage 6 load-shedding from 6pm on Monday – with COO Jan Oberholzer saying “at this stage” it will last until 11 pm. The ailing power utility said the move to stage 6, which has never been implemented before, was due to a “shortage of capacity”.
“This follows a technical problem at Medupi power station impacting additional generation supply,” it said on Twitter. Rainfall was also blamed. “The heavy rains has caused coal-handling and operational problems at several power stations,” said Eskom.
We regret and sincerely apologise that stage 4 loadshedding will move to Stage 6 loadshedding as from 18:00 today, as a result of a shortage of capacity. This follows a technical problem at Medupi Power Station impacting additional generation supply. https://t.co/Nxo0ltbuee pic.twitter.com/YXdfI0PzrM
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) December 9, 2019
Speaking to eNCA, Oberholzer said: “We’ve lost today [Monday], due to the excessive flooding in Mpumalanga, 4,000MW … It [the flooding] makes coal handling extremely difficult, so that’s a problem. He added that the “conveyor system” problem at Medupi has since been “resolved”, but the power utility nonetheless had to “cut back tremendously”.
“At this point in time, [stage 6] is up until 11pm tonight – and then we’ll reassess the situation. We’ve cut back specifically to preserve our reserves, which is water as well as diesel, which we have run extensively today,” he said.
In a statement, Eskom tried to assure South Africans that the move to stage 6 was not a cause for alarm.
“We remind and assure customers that load-shedding at stage 6 is no cause for alarm as the system is being effectively controlled. Stage 6 requires 6,000MW to be rotationally load-shed. skom continued in a Facebook post that it’s emergency response command centre and technical teams “will be working through the night to restore units as soon as possible”.
“Eskom is working closely [with] large industry to assist with further load curtailment. Load-shedding is a responsible act and [a] highly controlled process, implemented to protect the country from a national blackout. After 2015, Eskom and the municipalities identified the need to extend the load-shedding stages up to stage 8 and the national code (NRS048-9 Ed 2) was subsequently updated. Even beyond these schedules, the system operator will reduce demand in a manner that is controlled.
In other news – Somizi prophesied Zozibini Tunzi’s Miss Universe win – Watch
I joked about it into existence and the Universe literally responded,’ said Mhlongo. Celebrity choreographer and Idols judge Somizi Mhlongo believes that he “joked” Zozibini Tunzi’s Miss Universe win into existence.
This after he ran into her at a mall shortly before she departed for Atlanta in the United States, where she stayed for the duration of the competition. Read more
Source: Timeslive
