The Stage 4 load shedding nightmare continues on Wednesday thanks to Koeberg

We thought Eskom’s week couldn’t get any worse, but then Tuesday came along. The utility implemented Stage 4 load shedding in a snap decision on Tuesday and will continue at this stage until 11pm, briefly switching to Stage 2 for the remainder of the night.

Stage 4 will return from 9am on Wednesday.

Koeberg fault brings SA to its knees

The utility was forced to implement Stage 4 load shedding just 10 minutes after issuing an emergency update on Tuesday after one of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s two units tripped.

This decreased the utility’s available output by 930MW — effectively a full load shedding stage.

#POWERALERT 2

Date: 10 March 2020

Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented from 14:00 today due to additional breakdowns@News24 @TimesLIVE @eNCA @iol @SABCNewsOnline @TheCitizen_News @SAfmRadio @POWER987News @ukhozi_fm @METROFMSA @ewnupdates @Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/rppnVw4xxj

— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) March 10, 2020

Koeberg was the latest generating unit to trip this week after Eskom lost seven over the weekend across four different power stations.

In a later release issued on Tuesday evening, Eskom confirmed that Koeberg Unit 1 had been disconnected from the grid, and that its seawater circulating pump was damaged.

“It is expected that repairs will take a number of days before the unit can be brought back into operation,” said Eskom.

#POWERALERT 3
Date: 10 March 2020

Stage 4 loadshedding will continue until 23:00, drop to Stage 2 until 09:00, and back to Stage 4 @SABCNewsOnline @SABCRadio @IOL @ewnupdates @eNCA @TimesLIVE @News24 @Fin24 @Moneyweb @TheSAnews pic.twitter.com/shZAP1HwT9

— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) March 10, 2020

Stage 4 load shedding returns after three months

Stage 4 load shedding last made an appearance on 9 December 2019, when Eskom was also crippled by a number of plant breakdowns.

And we probably needn’t remind you of what happened later that day. Stage 6 was implemented for the first time in the country’s history after a major fault at Medupi.

Memeburn’s additional Eskom and load shedding coverage

For full coverage of Eskom’s power crisis, bookmark our Eskom coverage.

• Looking for load shedding schedules? We’ve compiled a list of schedules, from stage 1 through 8, for the country’s largest cities and municipalities.
• If you need a battery backup to get you through the dark, Gearburn takes a look at some of the highest used-rated UPS units on sale in South Africa.
• Require pocket power instead? Gearburn takes a look at five power banks currently on sale in South Africa for under R200.

Feature image: Andy Walker/Memeburn