Eskom has issued an urgent warning about the possibility of loadshedding, citing multiple breakdowns across its generation units.
UPDATE: In a statement issued at 22:01 on Monday, 24 March 2025, Eskom reported that one of the six units that went down has since been reconnected to the grid and while this delays rolling blackouts, the threat of loadshedding looms since the grid remains constrained. “Work continues to bring six generation units back online, with one unit already restored. Our teams are closely monitoring the situation, and we will provide further updates as needed,” Eskom warned.
Eskom warns loadshedding is imminent on Monday, 24 March 2025
In a statement released on Monday, 24 March 2025, the power utility confirmed that six generation units had been taken offline in the past 12 hours, placing the grid under severe strain.
The power utility cautioned that if an additional 800MW is lost, it will be forced to implement Stage 2 loadshedding at short notice.
Emergency reserves are already being utilised to stabilise supply, with Eskom working to return seven generation units to service by Tuesday evening.
The situation is being closely monitored, and Eskom has committed to providing an update at 22:00 or earlier if necessary.
This announcement comes just hours after Eskom celebrated the return of Kusile Power Station’s Unit 6 to the national grid on Sunday, 23 March.
The 800MW addition was widely promoted as a step towards improving South Africa’s electricity supply, with Eskom executives expressing optimism about reducing loadshedding.
However, the latest breakdowns expose the fragile state of the power system and the ongoing challenges of keeping generation capacity stable.
Despite Eskom’s recent efforts to improve energy availability, power cuts have persisted.
On 7 March, South Africans faced Stage 3 loadshedding after the loss of 2,700MW in under 24 hours.
Although the utility reported 325 days without loadshedding between April 2024 and February 2025, recent weeks have seen multiple returns to scheduled outages.
Kusile’s performance remains under scrutiny
Kusile Power Station has been at the centre of Eskom’s plans to increase electricity supply, but its reliability remains a concern. The facility, one of South Africa’s largest coal-fired power stations, has faced multiple technical setbacks since construction began.
In February 2025, Kusile’s Unit 3 was brought back online after being offline since December 2024 for maintenance and repairs to its exhaust system.
Unit 1 also returned in October 2023 following a prolonged shutdown for environmental compliance modifications.
Kusile’s operational challenges have been compounded by coal supply disruptions. Earlier in March 2025, two Kusile units failed due to transport issues caused by adverse weather.
These breakdowns forced Eskom to rely on expensive diesel-powered open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) to prevent a total collapse of the grid.
Eskom has positioned Kusile as a critical part of its long-term recovery strategy, with the power station expected to contribute 4,800MW once all units are fully functional.
However, the frequent breakdowns raise concerns about the station’s long-term stability and its ability to deliver a consistent electricity supply without setbacks.
Further updates are expected later in the evening as Eskom assesses whether power cuts will be necessary.
