Eskom extends Easter weekend load-shedding break

Eskom plans to continue suspending load-shedding until at least Tuesday, 2 April 2024.

The utility said the continued break in power cuts was possible due to sustained available generation capacity, adequate emergency reserves, and anticipated lower demand at the beginning of the week ahead.

Eskom anticipates that evening peak demand for Sunday, 31 March 2024, should reach 23,400MW.

This is comparable to the lowest demand seen during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s in the summer holidays.

At the time of its statement on Sunday morning, unplanned generation availability stood at 13,579MW, while planned maintenance accounted for a further 7,046MW of capacity being offline.

Eskom is also planning to return 3,550MW of capacity to service by Tuesday [2 April 2024] evening.

“Eskom will provide a system update on Wednesday or communicate any significant changes should they occur,” Eskom said.

The utility previously only confirmed that the long weekend’s load-shedding would last until 16:00 on Sunday, 31 March 2024.