Eskom said that all its generators are working at all of the stations, but warned that the grid is still vulnerable. Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe told Grocott’s Mail that the four generators that were malfunctioning at three stations were all functioning well on Thursday 18 December.
Eskom said that all its generators are working at all of the stations, but warned that the grid is still vulnerable. Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe told Grocott’s Mail that the four generators that were malfunctioning at three stations were all functioning well on Thursday 18 December.
“One of our power stations was hit by lightning on Tuesday, which caused damage to a generator,” he said. Phasiwe said the risk of load shedding was very low throughout the week as long as all the generators keep functioning without any problems.
“Although the generators are back up but we are not safe quite yet,” he added.
He said the power utility needs to build up its diesel and water reserves, which it had used for the past few days as an alternative supplier. The generators had stopped working at three different power stations on Tuesday.
The power system is currently constrained but stable, and the risk of load shedding is low for this week and the rest of the festive season.
However, due to the underlying shortage of additional generating capacity, the power system remains vulnerable – meaning that any extra load or faults in the system may necessitate the need to implement rolling blackouts.
Earlier this week Eskom said the system is expected to be constrained for the foreseeable future, meaning that the gap between supply and demand is too narrow for comfort.
Eskom calls on all South Africans to pull together over the next few months and use electricity sparingly at all times. When going on holiday, remember to:
• Unplug all appliances such as computers, coffee machines, television sets and entertainment consoles.
• Fix leaky taps; allowing water, especially hot water, to drip down the drain wastes both water and electricity.
• Replace conventional outdoor lights with motion-sensor lamps for security; they use less electricity because they only activate when the sensor is triggered.
• Switch to solar powered garden lights; they use the free energy of the sun and give your electricity a rest.
• Make sure the back-up batteries on your electric fencing and intruder detection system are in optimal working order; replace them if necessary.
• Set your pool pump to operate for four hours per day – it is enough to keep the pool clean while it is not being used – and set the pool pump to run outside 5pm to 9pm, the period of peak demand for electricity in South Africa.
