Eskom has warned the public Stage 6 load shedding could be implemented on Sunday evening.

The warning came after the power utility implemented Stage 6 power cuts between 8pm on Saturday and 5am on Sunday in an effort to create space to replenish the emergency generation reserves.

Thereafter Stage 4 load shedding was implemented until further notice, with the possibility that Stage 6 load shedding might again be implemented during Sunday night.

The power utility scaled up the stages shortly after it said on Friday, around 10pm, the turbine on Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station tripped while replacing a failed electronic turbine protection module.

“The reactor responded to the turbine trip by reducing power and it remained critical, as designed, with no nuclear safety consequences,” said Eskom spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha in a statement.

He said this enabled the unit to be returned to service quickly and the unit was resynchronised to the grid just before Saturday morning.

Earlier, he had said over the course of the day the unit would increase power back up to full load.

The unit had been online for an uninterrupted 145 days when this occurred.

Source: South African Government News Agency