Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, is facing a severe generation shortage, and load-shedding is highly likely for the next year, according to its 2023 Week 29 system status report. The report’s 52-week outlook reveals that electricity demand will exceed available generating capacity.
South Africa has experienced a significant increase in the number of hours without power due to load shedding.
Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, is facing a major problem with its transmission grid capacity to accommodate new wind and solar plants. The lack of funds and inadequate expansion has led to grid saturation in key regions, such as the Northern, Western, and Eastern Cape.
Eskom’s load-limiting pilot project, aimed at allowing households to continue using non-power-hungry appliances during load-shedding, has raised questions regarding its application in complexes with communal power feeds.