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City Power expected to implement load shedding in the City of Johannesburg as required, says Eskom

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Eskom has confirmed that Johannesburg’s City Power has requested to be partially excluded from load shedding as it seeks to acquire additional generation capacity.

The power utility on Monday said it is looking at this request and is working with the power company to reach an agreement. However, the current stage 2 load shedding status remains and City Power will follow it.

Eskom says it has agreed to work with City Power in the national interest and to protect the national grid.

 

Eskom’s Group Executive for Distribution, Mode Bala, briefed the media in Johannesburg on the state of the power utility’s system.

Bala says City Power is expected to follow and implement load shedding on its customers as required.

“City Power have signed a contract to extend their Kelvin supply, with that there is an additional capacity they managed to secure as part of that agreement. And they have requested Eskom to exclude them from the load shedding because of that additional capacity. We have assessed their request and we are in conversation with City Power and I am comfortable in the next coming days a solution will be found. At this point in time, it does remain that City Power are supposed to do load shedding,” says Bala.

 

Eskom | Power utility’s management team presents the State of the System briefing

Eskom dealing with theft and vandalism

Eskom Chief Operating Officer,  Jan Oberholzer says they are dealing with an increasing problem of theft and vandalism of their equipment’s, which is also causing electricity contains. Oberholzer has been at pains to provide an update on the power utility’s operational performance as the country is plunged into stage two load shedding.

He was briefing the media in Johannesburg on Monday.

Oberholzer said Eskom is working around the clock to keep the lights on but had unexpected breakdowns in its Kendal and Medupi and Koeberg Power Stations.

“We have these innovative individuals who believe that somehow one of these big steel towers if you take them apart, you build nice beds and furniture. We do have challenges and we have identified the high-risk areas and we protect those as best as we can. But if you have thousands of kilometres of assets across the country, it is difficult to protect those. so it’s quite a challenge,” says Oberholzer.

 

City Power had released a statement over the weekend noting that it would not be implementing load shedding n the City of Johannesburg.

 

However, on Monday, City power released a statement noting that it had agreed to work with Eskom to protect the national grid.

“City Power will follow and implement the directive of the System Operator, and implement load shedding on its customers in the City of Johannesburg as required,” noted City Power in the statement.

 

 

Eskom working closely with IEC ahead of LGE 2021 

Oberholzer, says Eskom is working closely with the Electoral Commission to seek ways of reducing risks of load shedding during the forthcoming elections.

Oberholzer has spelt out the power utility’s plan of action ahead of the next month’s local government elections. The elections are set to take place on 1 November 2021 in South Africa.

He briefed the media in Johannesburg on Eskom’s operations and the current state of load shedding.

Eskom has announced that Stage 2 load shedding will continue on Monday and Tuesday due to the loss of generation capacity at its Koeberg Power Station’s Unit 1 and to replenish the emergency reserves.

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