CREDIT: DAILY MAVERICK
Indications are that rolling blackouts went further than Stage 6 but the state-owned power utility has not bothered to inform the public.
Both Eskom and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa are remaining mum on reports that South Africa has been plunged into Stage 8 rolling blackouts.
Power cuts could last up to six straight hours if Koeberg’s Unit 2, the last functional unit at the nuclear power facility which tripped on Saturday, 15 April, is not brought back onto the grid.
The Daily Investor reported that Eskom’s rolling blackouts hit 7,072MW on Thursday, 13 April. This, according to the power utility’s own definitions, equates to Stage 8.
The power utility Tweeted on Thursday that its evening peak data showed that total demand was 30,747MW, while generation capacity was 23,771MW.
According to Eskom, a single stage requires Eskom to shed up to 1,000MW of electricity. Stage 8 requires 7,001MW to 8,000MW to be cut.
