CAPE TOWN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Rolling blackouts were implemented on Sunday in parts of South Africa due to electricity supply constraint, authorities said.
"Stage 1 rotational load shedding is currently being implemented from 12:15 and is likely to continue until 22:00 to preserve emergency resources," said electricity utility Eskom, which provides about 95 percent of electricity consumed in the country.
Customers should note that some municipalities take longer to restore load once load-shedding is terminated, the state-run parastatal said.
This is to allow for switching off the network in a way that will not damage the power system, it said.
"We continue to appeal to residents and businesses to use electricity sparingly during this period. Please switch off geysers as well as all non-essential lighting and electricity appliances to assist in reducing demand," said Eskom.
Stage 1 load-shedding allows for up to 1,000MW of the national load to be shed once a day. If the pressure grows, stage 2 for up to 2,000MW or stage three for up to 4,000MW would be shed. At stage 2, power goes off twice a day, while at stage 3, electricity could be cut two or three times a day.
The generation and distribution of electricity in the country has been constrained because Eskom is running short of coal, which the utility relies on to generate power stations, raising fears that similar load shedding is on the way as in 2014 and 2015 when frequent load-shedding gripped the country.
Eskom implements load-shedding as a last resort to protect the national system from a total blackout which would have significant impact on the economic development of South Africa.
Since 2008, South Africa has suffered from power insufficiency that seriously impedes the country's economic growth and affects people's lives.
