Power utility Eskom has announced that, owing to insufficient generation capacity and the inability to replenish emergency reserves over the past weekend, Stage 2 load-shedding will continue to be implemented throughout the week of November 8 to 13.

Eskom notes that, on November 7, a unit each at the Medupi and Matla power stations had tripped.

By Sunday afternoon, total breakdowns amounted to 16 693 MW, while planned maintenance was 5 769 MW of capacity.

Meanwhile, Eskom teams had successfully returned two of the three generators at Kendal power station following the shutdown on Friday due to coal constraints. A unit each at the Lethabo and Majuba power station were also returned to service from boiler tube leak repairs.

Further exacerbating the power shortages was a major incident in Zambia, on November 6, which has affected the entire Southern African Power Pool, resulting in imported power from Cahora Bassa, in Mozambique, being reduced by 1 000 MW.

"Despite the implementation of Stage 2 load-shedding, the events over the past two days have required extensive use of emergency generating reserves, hampering the recovery of the dam levels at the pumped storage power stations and depleting already low diesel levels.

"The high use of open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) over the past two weeks has resulted in limited diesel stock being available. Bulk diesel supply for the OCGT power stations is expected in mid-November," Eskom adds.

Eskom expects 12 generating units with a combined capacity of 5 271 MW to return to service during the week, but warns that the power system remains volatile and unpredictable and that higher stages of load-shedding may be implemented.