Eskom’s relentless execution of the Generation Recovery Plan has achieved a monumental milestone: 303 consecutive days without loadshedding since 26 March 2024. This Sunday, 26 January, marks 10 full months of uninterrupted power supply, a testament to the utility’s progress in its turnaround strategy.

In addition to this remarkable achievement, Eskom has saved R16.40 billion in diesel costs year-to-date, a staggering 62.4% reduction compared to the R26.27 billion spent during the same period last year. These savings underscore Eskom’s commitment to financial prudence and operational efficiency.

Summer outlook remains positive

Last August, Eskom forecasted a loadshedding-free summer from 1 September 2024 to 31 March 2025, citing structural improvements in generation capacity. This outlook remains unchanged, with the utility confidently maintaining its prediction of a stable power supply throughout the season.

Key performance highlights

• Unplanned Outages: Over the past week, average unplanned outages were 12,717MW, a 1,119MW improvement compared to the same period last year. Year-to-date, unplanned outages average 12,060MW, remaining 940MW below the summer base case of 13,000MW.
• Available Capacity: As of today, unplanned outages stand at 11,772MW, while available generation capacity is 27,961MW, comfortably meeting tonight’s forecasted peak demand of 24,461MW.
• Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF): The UCLF for the financial year-to-date (1 April 2024 to 23 January 2025) is 25.25%, a significant improvement from 32.68% in the corresponding period last year. This represents a ~7.4% improvement.
• Energy Availability Factor (EAF): The weekly EAF has improved from 57.0% at the start of the financial year to 59.58% (20 January 2025 to 23 January 2025). Year-to-date, the EAF stands at 61.79%, a ~6.9% improvement compared to the same period last year (54.9%).
• Planned Maintenance: Ongoing planned maintenance at 7,739MW aligns with Eskom’s summer maintenance strategy, aimed at improving reliability in preparation for winter 2025 and beyond.
• Peaking Stations: The strategic use of peaking stations, including pumped storage and Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs), remains available to manage electricity demand during peak times, particularly during evening peaks (17:00 to 22:00).

Diesel usage and cost savings

Between 1 April 2024 and 23 January 2025, Eskom spent approximately R9.87 billion on diesel, generating 1,604.72GWh. This is significantly lower than the 4,185.65GWh generated during the same period last year. The OCGT load factor for this period stabilised at 6.57%, compared to last year’s figure of 17.14%. For the week of 17 to 23 January 2025, the OCGT load factor was 5.95%, higher than the 4.65% recorded during the same period last year.

‘Save your Transformers, save lives’ campaign

While loadshedding remains suspended, Eskom is addressing network overloading issues in certain areas caused by:

• Illegal connections,
• Vandalism,
• Meter tampering,
• Unauthorised network operations,
• Theft of network equipment, and
• Purchasing electricity from unlicensed vendors.

Public appeal

Eskom urges the public to:

1. Avoid Illegal Connections: These pose public safety hazards, cause network overloading, and may lead to load reduction measures and unplanned power outages. They also negatively impact communities and can result in hefty fines.
2. Purchase from Authorised Vendors: Ensure you buy electricity only from Eskom-accredited vendors. For a list of authorised outlets, visit this link.
3. Report Illegal Activities: Help protect the power network by reporting any illegal activities to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.

Looking ahead

Eskom will provide its next update on Friday, 31 January 2025, or promptly communicate any significant changes as soon as they occur. The utility remains committed to maintaining a stable power supply and ensuring the safety and reliability of South Africa’s electricity network.

Eskom Nears Major Milestone: Load Shedding Targets Within Reach – Relief in Sight For South Africa

By AgencyJanuary 21, 202503 Mins Read

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Eskom. Shutterstock

Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, says eyes at the power utility are now firmly fixed on reaching a year without implementing load shedding – a target that is just slightly more than two months away.

This as Eskom reached 300 days without implementing the scheduled rolling black outs today.

“Credit goes to all our 40 000 dedicated and skilled Eskom employees, who are committed to serving South Africa. Our sights are now firmly focused on delivering one year without load shedding at midnight on 26 March 2025.

“These 300 days without load shedding have been characterised by a significant reduction in unplanned outages, which have long been one of the biggest challenges, a notable improvement in the energy availability factor of approximately 7%, and savings in diesel expenditure of R16.42 billion,” Nxumalo said.