Independent Newspapers
Durban – Electricity load-shedding during peak evening periods is imminent in KwaZulu-Natal as Eskom struggles to keep up with the demand for power between 5pm and 9pm.
The eThekwini Municipality has confirmed that a load-shedding schedule was in place should Eskom need extra power.
“Our national electricity system is operating under constrained conditions,” Sifiso Mazibuko, KZN’s general manager for Eskom’s operating unit, said at a media briefing on Monday.
“Eskom can manage the demand during the day, but as the country uses more electricity over the evening peak we need a collective approach.”
Mazibuko appealed to consumers to save energy between 5pm and 9pm, and gave examples of how to do so. He said the possibility of load-shedding was “very high”.
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We do not plan for load-shedding, it is event-driven. We have put in place load-shedding schedules with some municipalities, should we need them to be implemented.” The difference this time was that the load-shedding “would be done over the peak period, and not the whole day”.
If load-shedding occurred during the day it would be a response to something that had happened.
“We have certain agreements with different municipalities and have put together individual shedding solutions for their consumers,” Mazibuko said.
Ethekwini electricity head Sandile Maphumulo said the municipality was able to implement load-shedding immediately when asked by Eskom. The municipality was not able to guess when Eskom would need load-shedding.
At the briefing Mazibuko said power stations were ageing and, although planned maintenance and improved performance were Eskom’s focus, this approach was unsustainable.
“Eskom has a five-year strategy for generator sustainability, and this includes a firm commitment not to postpone critical maintenance.”
Part of this strategy was working on an “80-10-10 principal”, which meant that Eskom’s generators would be available 80 percent of the time, while planned and unplanned maintenance would each account for 10 percent.
“We will implement this programme to allow for better resource planning and more effective use of contractor capacity.”
Planned maintenance would be carried out, “while outages will be done to ensure we comply with environmental legislation”.
Mazibuko said energy supply was going to be tight until 2018, when Eskom’s new power stations would come online.
But even then, he said, Eskom would need consumers’ help in conserving energy.
Some of the steps he urged consumers to take during the four-hour peak period included:
* Switching off all geysers, pool pumps and non-essential lighting.
* Finding alternatives to electric heating, such as dressing warmly and using hot water bottles, insulating ceilings, investing in thermostat-controlled heaters, and using gas heaters.
The Mercury
