(Bloomberg) --
South Africa’s state-owned power company plans to implement rolling power cuts as multiple generation unit failures compounded the effect of planned maintenance.
Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. will implement a so-called Stage 5 loadshedding from 4 p.m. local time today until 5 a.m. Sept. 4, the utility said in a website statement. A Stage 4 loadshedding until 4 p.m. the same day will then follow.
The pattern will be repeated daily until further notice, Eskom said.
“The increase in the stages of loadshedding is necessary to recover emergency generation reserves,” the utility said.
Breakdowns are currently at 16,572 megawatts of generating capacity, while capacity out of service for planned maintenance stands at 6,287 megawatts.
“Over the weekend a generating unit at Duvha, Hendrina, Tutuka and two generating units at Kendal power stations were taken offline for repairs,” the utility said, adding that a delay in returning a generating unit to service contributed to the capacity constraints.
