By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Load shedding will continue to be implemented at Stage 1 until further notice, Eskom said in a statement on Saturday.
In a follow-up message, Eskom said this meant that Stage 2 will not be implemented on Sunday evening as had previously been communicated.
Eskom said it still planned to suspend load shedding during the day on Sunday and Tuesday.
At the start of the week, load shedding alternated between stage 3 during the day and stage 4 in the evenings.
The embattled company reported on Thursday (16 March) that six of its coal-fired power stations achieved an energy availability factor of 70% this week – a milestone last achieved in May 2022.
“Three of these power stations, Camden, Duvha and Matla, have been on a sustained upward trend as a result of a reduction of plant breakdowns and the return to service of a number of units that were on unplanned breakdowns,” the group said.
Eskom said that Lethabo, Matimba and Medupi have also been showcasing positive performance.
Board chairperson Mpho Makwana said the improved performance is rooted in the company’s ‘all-hands-on-deck-approach’, adding that it will continue to improve the national energy availability.
Despite lower stages of load shedding for the weekend ahead, Eskom’s fleet remains under pressure and its systems are constrained and unpredictable. As has been the case many times in the past, the situation can change at short notice.
South Africa has experienced near-permanent load shedding since September 2022. Since October 2022, the country has had 139 consecutive days of blackouts – including every single day of 2023 so far.
For access to other load shedding schedules, Eskom has made them available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.
Smartphone users can also download the app EskomSePush to receive push notifications when load shedding is implemented, as well as the times the area you are in will be off.
Meanwhile Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy, on Tuesday, 14 March, granted Eskom an exemption from some requirements related to the application process for it to operate Kusile without flue gas desulphurisation – which is required to limit sulphur dioxide emissions.
The power utility will still have to apply for an exemption with the National Air Quality officer, but this will be for a once-off postponement that will apply until 31 March 2025.
Given the need to limit load shedding, Eskom seeks an exemption to have to operate the flue gas desulphurisation for a temporary period of 13 months in order to bring online 2 100MW. This would reduce load shedding by two levels, Creecy said in a statement.
The repair required at unit 1 is expected to only be completed by December 2024. Eskom envisions operating the three units with temporary stacks, without flue gas desulphurisation from November 2023. Creecy noted this would likely increase sulphur dioxide emissions in excess of the limits in Kusile’s Atmospheric Emission Licence.
Creecy noted the socioeconomic impacts of load shedding, as well as the health impacts from exposure to sulphur dioxide emissions, especially for communities living close to coal-fired power stations.
“In the light of the competing factors, I have been called on to make an extraordinarily difficult decision,” Creecy said.
The Minister has allowed the expedited application process – but with certain conditions. Among these is that Eskom issues a public notice in two national newspapers explaining the reasons for their application, as well as that the utility holds a public participation process of 14 days.