Tuesday, 01 September 2020: Eskom regrets to inform the public that
due to a severely constrained generation system as a result of multiple unit
breakdowns, it has become necessary to implement Stage 2 loadshedding from
12:00 to 22:00 today. Ten generation units at seven power stations suffered
breakdowns in the last 48 hours.
A generator each broke down at Arnot,
Medupi, Lethabo, Matla power stations, while two units each at Majuba, Camden
and Tutuka power stations also broke down. This, together with the need to
conserve emergency generation reserves, necessitates that loadshedding be
implemented in order to protect the integrity of the system.
Unplanned breakdowns stand at 11 665MW
of capacity, adding to the 4 558MW currently out on planned maintenance.
Any further deterioration in the
generation performance may necessitate the escalation of loadshedding at short
notice.
As the aged generation infrastructure is
unreliable and volatile, this constrained power system is expected to persist
for the rest of the week.
We urge the people of South Africa to
help reduce electricity usage in order to assist Eskom to reduce the instance
of loadshedding.
ENDS