The country is in for a dark time for the next year and a half. As we battle through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Eskom has just announced load shedding is likely here to stay for the next 18 months.
The embattled power utility has submitted its long-term forecasts to the Standing Committee on Appropriations (SCOA), in which they predict that Stage 3 load shedding is likely to occur intermittently in the country for the next 18 months.
Standing Committee on Appropriations, (National Assembly), [Follow-up meeting with Eskom on the financial issues and progress on Committee’s recommendations; and briefing by National Treasury on Eskom’s compliance with all the conditions attached to the S https://t.co/5oGTYXABCY
— Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) September 2, 2020
In a presentation to Parliament, Eskom explained that load shedding will likely continue from now until December 2020, and intermittent power cuts are on the cards for the foreseeable future.
The South African reports that Eskom announced that should they lose 11 000MW from the grid during the first few months of 2021, load shedding will have to pick up again in February to March and possibly between June and July. The power utility also predicts that Stage 3 load shedding may have to occur intermittently for the next 18 months, all the way to March 2022.