Eskom is committed to limiting its unplanned power outages to a maximum of 2,500MW as it releases details of a new phase of power rationing.

Jacob Maroga, Chief Executive Officer of Eskom, told a press conference that the country need to save 3,000MW of energy between March and July and it would need to be divided equally.

Mr Maroga said he did not want a situation similar to that of February, where stabilisation meant mines were forced to cut their power usage by ten per cent.

He also acknowledged that much of the power cuts and instability that occurred in January and February was because of a loss of 6,000MW of power.

Unplanned events and poor coal supplies were to blame, according to Mr Maroga.

The next round of rationing will be published on March 24th to begin on March 31st and will see 1,800MW of power saved from cutting supplies to residential and commercial customers.

Some of this will be contributed by the mines.

Evidence of cut backs will need to be provided to Eskom, with residents able to prove they have made a ten per cent cut becoming exempt from the load shedding schedule, Engineering News reports.

Source:

Eskom commits to limit unplanned outages to 2 500, 13/03/08
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=129155

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