South Africa: Eskom Suspends Load Shedding Until Sunday

South Africa’s power utility company, Eskom has announced a suspension of load shedding until Sunday evening.

This decision comes as a respite for residents and businesses that have been grappling with power outages due to insufficient generation capacity.

The decision to temporarily suspend load shedding is a result of Eskom’s progress in restoring its generating units and relieving the strain on the grid.

“Due to sufficient generation capacity, including emergency reserves, expected units to be returned to service as well as anticipated lower demand into the weekend, load shedding will remain suspended until 16:00 on Sunday,” it said.

Eskom also noted on Wednesday (25 October) that if South Africans want the suspensions to continue, the group said that energy users need to keep demand in check.

“Eskom appeals to the members of the public to reduce demand at 17h00 to 21h00 by switching off geysers and pool pumps to ease pressure on the power system and continue suspending load-shedding,” it said.

Eskom further noted that it would continue to monitor the power system and publish the week-ahead outlook on Sunday.

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the utility will keep the public informed if there are any changes to the load shedding status.

Load shedding is a preventive measure implemented by Eskom to avert a total collapse of the electricity system when demand exceeds supply. This involves scheduled power outages in certain areas for a specific duration, usually lasting a few hours.

The recent suspension of load shedding follows Eskom’s announcement of a significant improvement in its generating capacity.

The company has been diligently addressing maintenance issues, repairing breakdowns, and bringing additional generating units online to enhance the power supply.

Despite these efforts, South Africa’s power sector continues to face challenges such as aging infrastructure, financial constraints, and mismanagement, leading to frequent.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com