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On Tuesday afternoon, Eskom issued a power alert informing South Africans of power station units returning to service, alleviating some of the loadshedding pressure. In addition, the evening peak for Tuesday was supported by I,958MW of renewable energy. The renewables comprise wind i,533MW, CSP 344MW and solar FV 81MW. Further, the generation units returning to service comprise of a unit each at the Camden, Kriel, Matla and Matimba power stations. However, breakdowns at a unit each at Duvha, Lethabo, Majuba and Tutuka power stations caused units to be taken offline for repairs, said Eskom. While the delay in returning a unit each to service at Arnot, Camden, Duvha and Kendal power stations contributes to the current capacity constraints. As of Tuesday afternoon (28 February), breakdowns amounted to 19,031MW of generating capacity. In addition, 4,174MW of generating capacity is out of service for planned maintenance. Eskom power alert schedule While the Eskom power alert schedule indicates a short stint at stage 3 loadshedding, the utility returns to a higher level today and for the rest of the week. The power utility states that loadshedding is used as a last resort to protect the grid from total collapse. Therefore, adhering to the schedule is of utmost importance. Meanwhile, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) gazetted new regulations under the national state of disaster to fast-track new electricity supply in South Africa. In a statement, CoGTA Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said the Regulations are to assist energy-generating entities in restoring capacity. LThe State of Disaster will enable us to provide practical measures that we need to take to support businesses in the food production, storage and retail supply chain, including for the rollout of generators, solar panels and uninterrupted power supply, he said. |
