Eskom declares new power emergency

06 March 2014 - 09:17 By Reuters, Sapa
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Visit Eskom website for the loadshedding schedule Electricity pylons. File photo
Visit Eskom website for the loadshedding schedule Electricity pylons. File photo
Image: Times Media

South African state power utility Eskom declared a fresh power emergency on Thursday and said there was a "strong possibility" it would have to implement rolling blackouts.

Spokesman Andrew Etzinger told Reuters the grid had come under renewed strain because of heavy rains over power stations in eastern Mpumalanga province and big industrial customers have been told to cut their usage by at least 10 percent.

  • Eskom will start power cuts from 9am on Thursday, likely to continue until 10pm.

Municipalities were informed of the need to reduce electricity and they would decide in which suburbs to cut power.

Etzinger could not say if power cuts would affect the Oscar Pistorius murder trial in the High Court in Pretoria. He said the Tshwane municipality would be in a better position to comment on that.

Earlier on Thursday, Etzinger said seven days of heavy rain had left coal stocks wet.

"We have asked our large industrial customers, to reduce their consumption by 10 percent, but it appears this will not be enough," Etzinger said.

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