Eskom is ramping up load shedding from stage five to stage six, effective from 4pm on Sunday afternoon. Stage six will be implemented until further notice.
The cash strapped power utility says yet more of its aging coal-fired power plants have gone down.
The breakdowns include units at Majuba, Medupi and Tutuka. Eskom says its teams are working around the clock to return the units to service.
South Africa has embarked on a just transition from carbon-based fuels like coal to sustainable energy like solar and wind, which is expected to cost the country well over a trillion rand in the coming years.
Eskom says it expects to continue with stage six load shedding for the rest of this week.
The power utility says this is due to the failure of additional generating units and the delay of several units to return to service.
Interim spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says, “Since yesterday morning, a generating unit each at Duvha, Lethabo and Medupi power stations have returned to service. Over the past 24 hours a generation unit each at Majuba, Medupi and Tutuka power stations were taken out of service due to breakdowns. Furthermore, the delay in returning units to service at Arnot, Camden, Hendrina, Majuba, Matla and Tutuka power stations continue to add to the current capacity constraints. The team is working around the clock to ensure that generating units are returned to service as soon as possible.”
