South Africa's national power utility Eskom has announced that load shedding (imposed power cuts) would continue for the next 18 months, i.e. at least until the end of 2016. In December 2014, the company had already warned that power shortage would continue until the commissioning of the 4,800 MW Medupi and Kusile coal-fired power plants in 12 to 18 months, i.e. until late 2015 or mid-2016. Eskom is currently implementing an accelerated maintenance programme and succeeded in raising the availability rate of its power plants from 65% to 75%. The company aims to increase this rate to at least 80%.
Rolling power cuts started in November 2014 following a dramatic reduction in the available capacity of the 3,600 MW Majuba coal-fired power plant (incident affecting the supply of five of the six units). The 4.8 GW Medupi coal-fired power plant was expected to be commissioned in December 2014 but it will start progressively between 2015 and 2018. The 4.8 GW Kusile project will also be commissioned between 2015 and 2018. The power system will thus remain tight until the completion of the repairs at Majuba and the commissioning of the first new units.
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