On Monday, Eskom sent a wave of frustration across the nation when, without prior notice, it announced the return of stage 2 loadshedding.
Stage 2 loadshedding confirmed: Here’s what we know
In a statement, the power utility regretfully informed South Africans that “Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented from 21:00 tonight (Monday) until 05:00 on Tuesday [8 February 2022] to conserve and replenish emergency reserves.”
While rotational power outages are scheduled to kick off from 21:00, the power supplier did warn that “further breakdowns could force Eskom to implement loadshedding sooner or to extend the loadshedding beyond Tuesday morning.”
“Since midnight we have lost the unit each at Camden, Kusile, Duvha and Matla power stations. Furthermore, the return of a unit at Kusile and two units at Majuba power stations are delayed,” the power utility noted in a statement.
Eskom further revealed that total breakdowns, as of Monday, amount to 16 261MW, while at least 5 350MW of power remains disconnected from the grid due to planned maintenance.
“Eskom appeals to all South Africans to reduce the usage of electricity and to switch off non-essential items. We will communicate promptly should there be any significant changes to the power system,” Eskom added.