South Africans need to be prepared for the possibility of loadshedding up to stage 16. Eskom is currently considering this measure to prevent the grid from collapsing due to increasing demand.
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The National Regulatory Services Association of SA (NRS), an organisation that aids in regulating loadshedding, is completing a document called voluntary NRS048-9 edition 3. This document would enable Eskom to implement extreme loadshedding beyond stage 8 in unanticipated emergency situations.
According to IOL, the document was confirmed by Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, who stated that the implementation of the guidelines would only occur in the event of emergencies that pose a risk of grid failure.
When questioned about the possibility of a complete collapse of the power grid and the need for loadshedding beyond stage 8, Mokwena stated that ensuring the safety of the grid could not be assured.
‘But with what we are seeing in terms of how the system is behaving, the current system does not show that we can go to that stage (stage 16),’ she said.
Mokwena said that the current loadshedding schedule is regulated by the NRS048-9 edition 2 document and only permits loadshedding to go up to stage 8.
‘In 2022, during the updating of NRS048-9 edition 3, the system operator, through the industry working group, requested stages 9 to 16 to be included in the code of practice.’
‘A prudent power industry plans ahead so that, in the unlikely event that higher stages are required now or in the future, these are prepared ahead of time and can be implemented in a controlled, systematic manner. The edition 3 of NRS048-9 makes this provision,’ Mokwena said.
Currently, the draft document is awaiting review and approval from the National Energy Regulator of SA before being legally mandated. Once authorised, the guidelines would become a legal licence, allowing Eskom and municipalities to implement loadshedding beyond stage 8.
Mokwena explained that the country would experience 32 hours of loadshedding in a 32-hour period under stage 16: ‘Most municipalities and Eskom-supplied areas have adopted a two-hour load-shedding schedule. On a two-hour load-shedding schedule, you would expect to be off for 32 hours in a 32-hour period (under stage 16),’ she said.
Vally Padayachee, the NRS management committee chairperson and former group executive of Eskom’s generation division, has defended loadshedding as a critical measure to avoid the disastrous effects of a blackout due to a potential surge in demand in the future, leading to the collapse of the entire grid.
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Picture: Murray Swart