Stage 16 loadshedding is the latest cause of unrest online after reports surfaced suggesting that Eskom was entertaining the idea of surpassing its maximum power outage level.
What is Stage 16 loadshedding?
Currently, Eskom and local municipalities, guided by the System Operator’s general manager Isabel Fick, can only implement loadshedding up to Stage 8, which, in the 15+ years of rotational blackouts, has been a rarity.
However, during a media Q&A session held on Saturday, 25 February 2023, Eskom’s head of generation Thomas Conradie did not explicitly rule out the possibility of loadshedding stages rising up to Stage 16 in the near future, considering the state of the country’s power system.
“In terms of the loadshedding framework for higher stages and even up to Stage 16, one must acknowledge here that the actual document NRS 048-9, which is a document that governs and deals with loadshedding and how it’s applied, there’s a workgroup working on that, which is not only Eskom, but also industry reviewing and updating that document,” Conradie explained.
The NSR-048-9 document in question, as reported by My Broadband, is the official framework that governs the implementation of loadshedding, and based on Conradie’s revelations, Eskom as well as industry partners are working on a draft that may grant the utility powers to manage rotational blackouts over and above Stage 8, and possibly up to Stage 16.
“The responsible thing is to make sure this document adjucates for higher stages of loadshedding and that those schedules are being developed upfront, that we got a more systemic approach if we require it, and that we don’t then need to jump around,” Conradie added.
Eskom’s head of generation stressed that the document is still in draft and “will take quite some time to finalise it and then also to be adopted by NERSA (National Energy Regulator of South Africa).”
What needs to happen before power outages reach this stage?
Currently, the System Operator oversees the flow and maintenance of energy to the power grid. If necessary, Fick issues directives to Eskom and municipalities on ways to manage power usage and, where it applies, when to implement rotational power cuts.
Each stage represents periods of two-hour — and sometimes four-hour — outages and the maximum megawattage the system needs to shave from the grid to keep it stable.
Therefore, Stage 1 loadshedding requires up to 1 000MW shaved off the grid, and Stage 8 represents 8 000MW, and so forth.
If South Africa were to reach Stage 16 loadshedding, the System Operator would need to shave up to 16 000MW of energy from the grid.
However, at this juncture, no framework exists to allow the power utility to implement anything above Stage 8 loadshedding.
On Wednesday, 1 March 2023, Eskom was loadshedding at Stages 4 and 5, and unplanned breakdowns totalled 19 031MW.
Check out this week’s loadshedding schedule for more information.