Eskom Escalates to Stage 6 Load Shedding Indefinitely Amid Power Station Failures

In an unwelcome but necessary move, Eskom announced the implementation of stage 6 load shedding across South Africa, effective from 1:30 am today, until further notice. This escalation comes in the wake of unexpected unit trips at the Camden Power Station in Mpumalanga, which has severely disrupted the power supply.

Daphne Mokwena, Eskom’s spokesperson, announced early Sunday that the shift to stage 6 was crucial to manage the sudden loss in generation capacity and to replenish emergency reserves for the coming week. The power utility had already been grappling with reduced capacity due to multiple unit trips at Majuba Power Station and a significant unit trip at Medupi, combined losing over 3,864 megawatts. Concurrently, ongoing planned maintenance contributed to a further reduction of 7,506 megawatts.

The recent operational setbacks mark a significant disruption after Eskom's notable achievement of 300 days without load shedding earlier this January, an accomplishment not seen since June 2018. These milestones were the fruits of Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan introduced in March 2023 and the broader Energy Action Plan adopted in July 2022.

Eskom CEO, Dan Marokane, highlighted that the return to load shedding is considered a "potentially temporary setback," suggesting that while major improvements have been made to the power generation fleet, the aging infrastructure still poses significant reliability challenges.

Moreover, the Minister of Electricity, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, pointed to a "perfect storm" of unplanned outages and necessary maintenance that depleted the emergency reserves faster than anticipated.

Eskom's recurrent struggles with power generation have been amplified by the unreliable nature of some old power stations, as noted by energy analysts Professor Sampson Mamphweli and Tshepo Mahlaba.

In response to this crisis situation, Eskom is set to hold a media briefing today at 11 am to offer more detailed information and updates about the status of the power system and ongoing efforts to stabilize supply. The briefing is eagerly awaited by millions of South Africans who are currently experiencing the severe implications of stage 6 load shedding.

The move to stage 6 entails a more severe form of power cuts, where electricity is shut off for about six hours at a time over a four-day period for any given area. This level of load shedding disrupts daily life, economic activities, and can have broader implications on the country’s already fragile economy.