‘There are many questions asked on a regular basis if there’s a possibility of stage 8 load shedding. As you’ll see from the outlook, that possibility is receding, which is comforting and is positive,’ Andre de Ruyter said.
Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter said that it was becoming increasingly unlikely that the country would be plunged into stage 8 power cuts.
South Africa’s energy crisis had worsened in recent months, with stage 6 power cuts, the highest the country’s experienced so far, having been implemented thrice since September.
This had led to concerns that stage 8 – which would see 12 to 14 hours of power cuts a day – could be on the cards.
But at a state of the system update on Sunday, the power utility’s top executives said that things were looking up. Six generating units were expected to return to service this week and the blackouts were set to be decreased.
De Ruyter said the odds of stage 8 being implemented were, as a result, slim.
“There are many questions asked on a regular basis if there’s a possibility of stage 8 load shedding. As you’ll see from the outlook, that possibility is receding, which is comforting and is positive,” he said.
De Ruyter conceded that there were always inherent risks.
“And for that purpose, we have to protect our reserves – our diesel reserves at our open cycle gas turbines as well as our pumped storage reserves. And in this regard, I can give the country the assurance that our colleagues and our system operator are truly world-class.”
By: Bernadette Wicks
For more information visit: ewn.co.za
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