Load REDUCTIONS implemented in JHB – find your schedule here

Load REDUCTIONS implemented in JHB – find your schedule here

Johannesburg’s City Power has implemented load reduction in parts of the city, a move that could potentially and significantly impact the operations of local businesses, many of which are already grappling with the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Authorities introduce load reduction in areas with high usage

City Power, in a proactive move, has introduced load reduction in areas with high usage levels that threaten to overload the system.

This measure is aimed at maintaining the stability of the power grid and ensuring the safety of all residents and businesses.

According to a report by BusinessTech, these outages could also significantly disrupt local businesses.

Andrew Dickson, Engineering Executive at CBI-electrics, said low-voltage production stops when the power goes off, reducing output and hurting profitability.

THESE OUTAGES COULD SIGNIFICANTLY DISRUPT LOCAL BUSINESSES

“However, for a number of companies operating in Johannesburg’s industrial sector, the switch-off of machinery could render them unable to operate for extended periods as it can take equipment anywhere from a few hours to more than 24 hours to return to operation,” said Dickson.

“With outages now occurring multiple times a day in parts of Johannesburg, this will bring business to a standstill and could even force several companies to close.”

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved guidelines for implementing load shedding up to Stage 16. Here is what you should know.

THE REGULATOR PUBLISHED THE LATEST APPROVED REVISION 

The regulator published the latest revision of the load shedding Code of Practice. The revision consolidates load shedding stages from Stage 1 to Stage 16 into a single system.

According to a report by MyBroadBand, experts from Eskom, the Energy Intensive User Group, metros, and the regulator itself, among others, developed the revision.

Last year, Vally Padayachee, the Chair of the management committee of the National Rationalised Specifications (NRS) Association of South Africa, said that the new load shedding system should prevent the grid from collapsing after stage 8 load shedding.

He was speaking with Newzroom Afrika.

WILL WE EVER REACH STAGE 16 LOAD SHEDDING? 

Padayachee said that this revised load shedding schedule would do away with human error, with a system in place to accommodate for as high as stage 16.

He said multiple times that South Africa is unlikely to ever reach stage 16 – where 80% of the grid would need to be shut down.

Padayachee furthermore said that including stage 16 is for unintended consequences of load shedding, which the NRS is considering as a prudent organisation.