Eskom: No load shedding this winter

The power utility is facing coal supply issues at six of its power stations but doesn’t believe this will have an impact on its ability to provide enough electricity.

Eskom’s Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Phakamani Hadebe says measures are in place to address the coal shortage.

“That problem will only take place if there are certain anomalies that can come to play like any natural catastrophe or one big power station has a huge problem and cannot continue,” Hadebe told the media at a briefing in Sunninghill.

The power utility says it currently has just over a month’s worth of coal stockpiles. 

“We have 35 days against the 2008 year, before the challenges that we were facing, where we had the stockpiles for only 12 days,” Hadebe said. “If we include Medupi or Kusile, the stockpile increases to 65 days.”

There are fears that the country could be plunged into darkness due to the strained financial situation the power utility finds itself in.