‘Very difficult winter’: S Africa power firm warns of longer cuts
Al Jazeera
23-05-18 10:33
South Africa’s strapped electricity state utility Eskom has warned that the country is approaching a “very difficult winter” from June, with demand for power predicted to surge to 33,000 MW while Eskom can only produce 26,000 MW. The country is already experiencing scheduled electricity outages of more than 10 hours a day due to Eskom’s poorly maintained coal power stations. Eskom warns it may have to increase electricity cuts by 8,000 MW, translating to 16 hours of outages in a 32-hour cycle. The crisis has cut GDP by 5% in 2022, and rising blackouts threaten price rises.