Eskom executives and Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa addressed the public on Sunday, following the unexpected escalation of loadshedding from Stage 3 to Stage 6.
UPDATE: Eskom released a statement on Tuesday evening (25 February 2025) confirming that loadshedding will be suspended at 05:00 on Wednesday due to “the successful recovery of generation capacity and significant progress in replenishing emergency reserves.“
What caused Stage 6 loadshedding?
Minister Ramokgopa acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating:
“We convey our regret and apology to the nation for this intensity of loadshedding that we have not experienced in a long time.”
He reassured the public that Eskom remains committed to eradicating loadshedding, despite recent setbacks.
According to Eskom, multiple unit failures at key power stations triggered the crisis:
- Majuba Power Station: Five generating units, each supplying approximately 600MW, failed, leading to a loss of 3,000MW. This was further aggravated when Unit 2 at Majuba went offline, taking another 800MW out of the system.
- Camden Power Station: Four units tripped simultaneously at 01:30 on Sunday, causing a rapid drop in generation.
- Medupi Power Station: A cascading failure resulted in one of its units shutting down, exacerbating the grid instability.
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane explained that Stage 3 loadshedding was initially implemented on Saturday, to preserve emergency reserves and avoid a total collapse of the system.
However, when Camden’s failures occurred overnight, Eskom had no choice but to escalate to Stage 6.
Despite the crisis, Marokane made it clear that Eskom was already working to stabilise the grid, stating that of the 10 units lost overnight, six had been restored by Sunday morning, with more expected to return online within the next 48 hours.
What’s the loadshedding outlook for the week ahead?
Eskom provided an optimistic forecast, stating that while Stage 6 will remain in place for now, the situation is expected to improve over the coming days.
- By Monday, 24 February 2025, Eskom plans to exit Stage 6, provided that additional units return to service as scheduled.
- By Tuesday, 25 February 2025, Camden Power Station’s remaining units should be restored, further easing pressure on the grid.
- By the end of the week, Eskom expects to lift loadshedding entirely, barring any unforeseen breakdowns.
Marokane assured South Africans that Eskom is staying the course in its Generation Recovery Plan, despite setbacks. The power utility is conducting extensive maintenance to prevent further major failures but warned that this short-term pain is necessary for long-term stability.
Minister Ramokgopa reiterated Eskom’s commitment to improving energy availability, noting that the National Treasury had approved financial support to help bolster Eskom’s recovery efforts.
While Eskom remains confident in its ability to reduce loadshedding, public scepticism remains high due to the power utility’s history of unforeseen breakdowns and last-minute schedule changes.
The situation will become clearer once Eskom provides further updates throughout the week.