Morning Brief: Stage 8 load shedding just around the corner warns Eskom

Good morning, here’s what you need to know today.

As Eskom continues a record-breaking run of power cuts to a fourth consecutive day, we’ve rounded up some of the latest news on the ailing power utilities’ continued struggles.

SA 2,000 megawatts away from stage 8 load shedding – EWN

Depending on the state of the power grid, we could be in for a reduction in load shedding or we could be plunged into an even worse stage of power cuts.

Eskom says stage 8 load shedding would need to be implemented if there is a loss of 8,000 megawatts on the national grid. Eskom spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha says where the power utility is now, we are just 2,000 megawatts away from having to rise to stage 8 power cuts.

Stage 8 load shedding would mean 48 hours without power over four days or 96 hours without electricity over eight days. Read more here.

Eskom extends record power cuts to fourth day – Business Day

During stage 6 power cuts, Eskom has shed as much as 36,000-gigawatt-hours from the grid, which is the highest amount ever recorded, according to the council for scientific and industrial research. The previous record was 30,000-gigawatt-hours.

Eskom says it plans to cut a further 4,000 megawatts of power continuously over the weekend. Read more here.

Lights out: Business leaders beg Ramaphosa to fix ‘national crisis’ at Eskom – News24 (for subscribers)

Eskom and trade unions will meet today to discuss a wage deal that will hopefully end a week of labour unrest, which has led to the ramping up of load shedding with as much as 90% of workers prevented from showing up to work.

But while government hopes to ease the blackout burden, business leaders have written to President Cyril Ramaphosa saying his government has not done enough and that more needs to be done to end the electricity crisis. Read more here.