(Bloomberg) -- Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. increased power outages across South Africa as it struggled to meet demand amid plummeting temperatures.

The state utility removed 4,000 megawatts of electricity from the grid — a process known as loadshedding — from 1 p.m. and will continue to do so until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, it said on a statement on Twitter. “We plead with the public to switch off non-essential appliances to reduce the demand,” Eskom said.

A cold front has brought snow to large parts of South Africa, including the commercial hub of Gauteng province, with temperatures dropping to below freezing in some areas.

President Signs Eskom Debt Relief Bill (July 10, 8:17 a.m.)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Eskom Debt Relief Bill into law at the weekend, according to a parliamentary notice.

The legislation enables Eskom to receive funding directly from the National Revenue Fund over the next three years in exchange for the government obtaining equity in the company.

Read More: Eskom Debt Plan Can Reduce South Africa Risks, Moody’s Says

Energy Availability Factor Nears 70%, Cabinet Says (July 6, 3:52 p.m.)

The amount of energy available for use in South Africa has increased to almost 70%, the cabinet said in a statement.

The so-called energy availability factor had dropped to historic lows of less than 50% earlier this year because of frequent breakdowns at Eskom’s poorly maintained plants. 

“About 400 megawatts have been added to the grid and planned maintenance has improved in a short space of time,” the cabinet said.

Read More: South Africa’s Accessible Power Seen at 75% by End-2024, M&G Says

Eskom’s Plan to Bypass Pollution Rules Hit by Appeal (July 6, 10:38 a.m.)

Environmental activists have appealed against a government decision to allow Eskom to bypass equipment used to reduce sulfur dioxide pollution while it repairs one of its biggest coal-fired power plants. 

The appeal has been filed to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment by groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action, according to court documents distributed by the Centre for Environmental Rights, the lawyers representing the groups.

Read More: Eskom’s Approved Plan to Bypass Pollution Rules Hit by Appeal

Outages Cut South Africa GDP by 3.2 Percentage Points, Bank Says (July 4, 01:30 p.m.)

South Africa’s energy crisis may have reduced the nation’s economic growth rate by as much as 3.2 percentage points last year and is likely to dampen output until at least early 2024, according to the central bank.

Eskom frequently implements loadshedding to protect the grid from collapse. Regular outages since January have lasted as long as 12 hours a day.

Read More: Outages Cut South Africa GDP by 3.2 Percentage Points, Bank Says

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