Eskom has published an outlook of the loadshedding schedule starting Monday, 18 March 2024.
UPDATE: On Friday, 22 March 2024, Eskom announced changes to the loadshedding schedule. See the updated changes below.
Loadshedding outlook for this week: Here’s what to expect
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In a statement released on Sunday, Eskom confirmed that starting Monday from 05:00, loadshedding will be implemented at Stage 2 from “until further notice.”
The power utility attributed this adjustment to the loss of two generating units in the past 24 hours and an increase in planned maintenance activities aimed at improving the reliability of its generation fleet.
The current state of Eskom’s power system indicates that unplanned outages account for 14 641MW of generating capacity, with an additional 7 850MW out of service for planned maintenance.
Despite these challenges, Eskom anticipates a recovery of 3 830MW of generating capacity by Wednesday, 20 March 2024, as efforts are underway to return units from unplanned outages and planned maintenance back to service.
Eskom’s evening peak demand for the day of the statement is noted at 24 701MW.
Given these factors, the trend for loadshedding over the upcoming week appears to be closely tied to the ability of Eskom to recover the anticipated generating capacity and manage peak demand efficiently.
Suppose Eskom succeeds in bringing the anticipated 3 830MW of generating capacity back into service by Wednesday and consumers continue to heed the call to use electricity sparingly.
In that case, there may be potential for easing the loadshedding stages. However, the situation remains fluid, and the utility’s ability to closely monitor and manage the power system will be crucial in determining the extent and duration of loadshedding required throughout the week.
Here’s the loadshedding schedule starting Monday, 18 March 2024
Here is the official loadshedding schedule:
| Date | 00:00 – 05:00 | 05:00 – 16:00 | 16:00 – 20:00 | 20:00 – 00:00 |
| Mon 18 Mar 24 | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 |
| Tues 19 Mar 24 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 |
| Wed 20 Mar 24 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 |
| Thurs 21 Mar 24 | Stage 2 | Suspended | Suspended | Stage 3 |
| Friday 22 Mar 24 | Stage 3 | Suspended | Stage 3* | Stage 3* |
| Sat 23 Mar 24 | Stage 3* | Stage 2* | Stage 3* | Stage 3* |
| Sun 24 Mar 24 | Stage 3* | Stage 2* | Stage 3* | Stage 3* |
Readers from these metros can check the latest loadshedding schedule below: