Eskom moved load shedding to stage six from early Friday morning, it said on social media.
The struggling power company attributed the highest stage to the overnight and morning failure of eight generating units, “requiring excessive use of open-cycle gas turbines and pumped-storage generation.”
“The inability to pump water overnight in pumped storage schemes and low diesel levels have resulted in critically low emergency reserves that need to be conserved. Eskom will post a further update as soon as there are significant changes,” he said.
The utility has had a tumultuous week with the resignation of its chief executive on Wednesday and the announcement of a delay in rate increases.
Since Thursday afternoon, according to Eskom, there have been breakdowns of one unit each in Duvha, Grootvlei, Tutuka, Kriel, Lethabo. Failures also occurred at Camden Power Station, as well as two units at Kendal Power Station.
“In addition, the delay in bringing one generating unit each of the Arnot, Duvha, Matla, Camden and Hendrina power stations back into service has contributed to capacity constraints.”
No units were able to return to service in the last 24 hours, Eskom said.
