Eskom says it will release its winter plan in the coming weeks.

The utility’s Head of Power generation, Bheki Nxumalo says they plan to minimise rolling blackouts this winter season.

This is after Eskom failed to maintain its more than 300 days of uninterrupted supply in February due to poor performance at its power stations.

“Our first prize as Eskom is not to have load shedding but we will share with the country. Winter is at least better than the summer months because we don’t have rains, thunderstorms and all of these things, because as you’ve seen our operations, some of them are outside. So, if there are thunderstorms the whole day, it means these people, we need to look after their safety. So, we only have to deal with the cold and our plan still seems to like cold weather as well. So, they seem to perform much better in the winter.”

Meanwhile, Energy expert Ruse Moleshe says if Eskom can effectively address the issues that have led to recent load shedding, the utility will be well-prepared for the winter season.

“I think that Eskom has done well so far in ensuring that they do not compromise on maintenance, because that will bode well for winter. Those plants that have now been out towards the end of March will be back on stream. That is to make sure that we meet the demands of consumers because winter is a typical period where you have a high demand of electricity. If everything else outside of the small issues goes well, I think that Eskom is very well prepared for our winter,” says Moleshe.

VIDEO | Moleshe says there has been a lot of new capacity that has been brought to stream at Eskom: