Energy firm warns S Africa to brace for ‘difficult winter’

South Africa’s struggling state-owned power firm Eskom on Thursday forecast a “very tight winter” starting in weeks, with demand set to rise in the continent’s most industrialised but energy-starved country.

Eskom warned that it may ramp up crippling power outages to prevent a national grid collapse.

“It’s going to be a difficult winter,” Calib Cassim, the company’s interim CEO told a news briefing in Johannesburg.

A total “blackout is unlikely,” he said, allaying fears of South Africans as the southern hemisphere winter which start in June, sends energy demands soaring.

Winter demand for power is expected to surge to around 33,000 megawatts but Eskom is only able to produce 26,000 megawatts.

“This is going to be a very, very tight winter in terms of supply and demand,” said Segomoco Scheppers, who is the Eskom executive responsible for transmission.

“The scenarios of the winter outlook indicate loadshedding could intensify,” added Scheppers.

South Africa’s power crisis has deepened over the past year.

To manage the shortfall, Eskom imposes daily power cuts. They have worsened with people forced to endure blackouts of up to 12 hours a day on some days.

The shortages are blamed on insufficient investments in the country’s ageing or poorly designed coal-fired power plants, corruption, crime and sabotage.