By Akani Nkuna
After successfully restoring over 3,000MW of generation capacity and replenishing emergency reserves, Eskom has announced the suspension of loadshedding from 10am on Sunday.
A key factor in the recovery has been the improved performance of Kusile Power Station, where coal operations were running optimally. Units that were offline as of Friday have been brought back online, contributing to the strengthened grid.
Additionally, progress continues on the recovery of Koeberg Unit 2, with Eskom reassuring the public that the nuclear reactor remains safe.
The power utility is also focusing on planned maintenance to prepare for increased winter demand while ensuring compliance with regulatory and environmental requirements. By Monday, an additional 4,091MW is expected to return to service, further enhancing grid stability.
Despite the constrained baseload capacity, Eskom maintains that loadshedding is “largely behind us” due to structural improvements in the generation fleet. The entity remains confident in its generation recovery plan and the dedication of its workforce.
Eskom has pledged to provide updates when necessary as it continues efforts to secure a reliable power supply for the country.
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa apologised to South Africans for the recent round of load-shedding on Saturday.
A wave of unexpected breakdowns at multiple power stations led to a generation shortfall of approximately 2,700 MW, plunging South Africa into stage 3 load-shedding on Friday afternoon.
“I would like to convey my sincere apologies that the country has to experience the gross inconvenience of load-shedding,” the minister said.
He reiterated what President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation Address earlier this year, that load-shedding had huge implications for economic growth and business development.
Detailing the sequence of failures that led to the latest bout of blackouts, Ramokgopa said: “Kriel Unit 5 tripped due to condenser high vacuum, Koeberg Unit 2 had to be taken offline just days after returning to service due to a steam leak, and Lethabo Unit 2 suffered a boiler tube failure.”
The challenges did not end there. Severe weather conditions affected coal operations at Kusile, forcing units 4 and 5 offline, while Matimba unit 5 also suffered a module failure.
With these outages, combined with ongoing maintenance work, the available generation capacity plummeted, necessitating the implementation of stage 3 load-shedding.
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane also acknowledged the frustration caused by ongoing power cuts, but highlighted progress made in improving the utility’s performance.
“We understand the impact these power cuts have on the daily lives of South Africans and are committed to restoring stability,” Marokane stated.
He noted that the maintenance of generation units not returning on the planned dates, referred to as slippage, being a significant factor for the current situation.
Marokane said that to replenish emergency reserves, the utility was left with no choice but to implement load-shedding.
Ramokgopa assured South Africans that efforts to restore power generation were underway.
“We expect to return approximately 7,554 MW to service over the next eight days,” he told reporters.
The minister will visit the affected power stations, reportedly saying there will be consequences if human error is to blame.
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