Stage 4 load-shedding will continue until 05:00 on Saturday morning and reduce to Stage 3 throughout the weekend, Eskom has announced. 

Eskom will update on plans for next week on Sunday. 

Load shedding was initially supposed to alternate between Stage 3 in the day and Stage 4 in the evenings this week however diesel stocks ran low after a vessel that was supposed to offload diesel at Mossel Bay couldn't berth due to rough seas. Eskom depends on diesel-fired Open-Cycle Gas Turbines in Ankerlig, Cape Town, and Gourikwa near Mossel Bay for emergency power.

Eskom said on Thursday afternoon that diesel deliveries have started at PetroSA’s facility in Mossel Bay, after the vessel berthed in the morning.

"Transferring the fuel to the Gourikwa and Akerlig Open Cycle Gas Turbine stations will take place throughout the weekend to replenish by Monday. Eskom will also use the weekend to replenish the dam levels at the pumped storage schemes, which have been utilised extensively to complement generation capacity."

In addition to all of the eight Camden Power Station units that were taken offline due to de-mineralised water contamination on Wednesday last night as a result of the incorrect valve being opened, a generating unit at Kriel Power Station was also taken offline for repairs.

Currently 5 206MW is out on planned maintenance, while another 15 862 MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns.