Blow out the candles: No load-shedding this week

Eskom is anticipating no load-shedding for this week.

“The improvement in plant performance, together with replenished diesel and water reserves over the last few days, as well as the increase of imports from Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa to 850MW, has positively shifted system performance,” Eskom said on Sunday.

But they warned there is still a risk of load-shedding as the system remains “vulnerable”.

Loadshedding will only be implemented when absolutely necessary, Eskom said.

The Sunday Times reported the power utility is scrambling to secure a contract for the early detection of leaks on boilers of its power plants before these fissures expand and lead to units crashing.

Such a contract lapsed in 2017 and Eskom has been unable to pin down a new one.

During a briefing on Tuesday by public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan, Eskom COO Johan Oberholzer said the lapse in the previous contract had contributed to last week’s stage 4 power cuts.

Meanwhile, the Hawks are probing how Eskom funds earmarked for crucial maintenance of power plants were diverted to the Kusile power station project and other capital expenditure programmes - where they were allegedly looted through dodgy tenders.

Lack of maintenance on power plants since the Soccer World Cup in 2010 is a key factor in the debilitating rolling blackouts that have hammered the economy.