Since the start of Eskom's financial year on 1 April, there has not been a single hour of load shedding. In fact, South Africa's reprieve from rotational power cuts started on 26 March, meaning that by 5am yesterday, there have been 142 days of constant power supply.
That this has been the case during winter is quite the feat. Peak power demand is typically 3 000MW to 4 000MW higher during winter than in summer.
In recent weeks, it has had an average of 33 000MW of available capacity compared to its "likely scenario" in its winter forecast of closer to 28 000MW.
This would have seen 50 days of load shedding with a "peak" of stage 2 from April to August. Despite winter being nearly over, it reiterates that its forecast remains "in force".
Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said on Monday that "the numbers do indicate that we are within touching distance" of ending load shedding permanently.
Big cut in diesel use
This story is from the August 16, 2024 edition of The Citizen.
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This story is from the August 16, 2024 edition of The Citizen.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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