Low risk of load-shedding until mid January, Eskom says
But it warns heavy rains between December and March could affect coal handling and feeding to boilers with potential impact on generation production
Eskom announced on Thursday that the probability of load-shedding would remain low until January 13, due to an decrease in demand from business and industries over the festive break. “However heavy rains over the December to March period could impact coal handling and feeding to the boilers with a potential impact on generation production,” it said in a statement. “While we do not anticipate load-shedding we continue to warn customers that as the system remains vulnerable, any shift could increase the probability of load-shedding. Eskom will communicate if there is a change.” Currently, the financially dire state utility operates thanks to a R350bn debt guarantee by the government, which has been flagged as the biggest risk to the fiscus.
Eskom, which supplies most of SA’s electricity, has massed R419bn worth of debt over the past 10 years due to its huge capital build programme. It is now unable to pay interest costs from revenue earned and must borrow to service its debt. In...
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