Multiple factors contribute to load shedding - Eskom

• Published date: 04 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

Eskom says stage two load shedding was implemented due to depleted capacity caused by generator breakdowns, power station trips, the slow return to service of units, as well as higher demand for electricity as the colder weather starts to settle in.

As a result of these factors, the power utility was unable to feed the entire demand for electricity on Tuesday.

Eskom Chief Executive Andre de Ruyter told a media briefing on Wednesday that the electricity supplier is working to ensure that load shedding is suspended as soon as it is possible to do so.

He explained that the power utility's capacity to deliver electricity currently falls short of the country's demands.

'We have a deficit between our demand and our available generating capacity, hence the reason for us to implement stage two load shedding. Obviously also bearing in mind that we do not wish to deplete all of our reserves in continuously meeting excess demand because then… we will run out of diesel to fire up our open cycle gas turbines... and we will also run out of capacity at our pump storage systems. These are very important back-up systems in order to prevent the far worse scenario of a total system blackout.

'We are working very hard to return units to service. We are doing our level best to accelerate [suspending load shedding] but unfortunately where we are right now, we have no alternative… based on our anticipated return to service of major units which will alleviate the generation capacity constraint,' De Ruyter said.

The power utility's Chief Operating Officer, Jan Oberholzer, explained that the power stations ran into major problems during and after the long weekend.

These challenges include:

Trips at Arnot and Duvha power stations which were returned to service.

The tripping of some four units at Matla, Kusile, Matimba and Duvha power stations, which were returned to service by Monday midday.

On Monday, at least eight units tripped at Lethabo, Tutuka, Hendrina, Ingula and Matla power stations - removing at least 3 300MW of capacity from the grid.

'So [because] Monday was a public holiday and the demand for electricity was low, we managed to supply electricity demand…but we still needed 16...