Eskom published the loadshedding schedule for the weekend starting on Friday, 28 July 2023, which forecasts recurring evening shifts of Stage 4 outages.
Weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 28 July 2023
On Friday, Eskom confirmed loadshedding will resume with Stage 4 as planned until 05:00 the next day.
Thereafter, varying stages of loadshedding will be implemented to manage the national power grid.
Moreover, Eskom warned that the weekend weather forecast, which predicts a strong cold front for most parts of South Africa, could force higher stages of loadshedding due to excessive demand.
“Colder temperatures are expected this weekend, with the cold front reaching the Gauteng area on Sunday and expected to last until Wednesday. We appeal to consumers to assist in reducing demand by switching off non essential appliances such as geysers, pool pumps and limit the use of electrical appliances during 06:00-09:00 and 17:00-21:00,” the utility tweeted.
Here’s a look at the weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 28 July 2023:
Date | Morning Peak (05:00 – 16:00) | Evening Peak (16:00 – 05:00) |
Friday 28 July 2023 | Stage 4* | Stage 4* |
Saturday 29 July 2023 | Stage 3* | Stage 4* |
Sunday 30 July 2023 | Stage 2* | Stage 4* |
Update on breakdowns and available capacity
On Friday, Eskom reported more than 16 686MW of generation capacity lost to breakdowns, with an additional 3 966MW offline due to several units placed out of commission for planned maintenance.
Since Thursday, 27 July 2023, Eskom’s generation fleet lost a generating unit at Medupi, and two generating units at Kriel power stations.
“Demand for electricity is expected to increase towards the weekend. Therefore, we appeal to the members of the public to assist in reducing demand by switching off non-essential appliances,” the power utility wrote.
Here is a snapshot of Eskom’s energy availability, observed from the evening peak period of Wednesday, 26 July 2023: