The state utility Eskom said that South Africa has now reached more than 250 days without implementing load shedding and has saved almost R17 billion in diesel costs year-on-year.
The country has thus far only experienced 83 days of load shedding in 2024, an incredible turn of events after more than 289 days of load shedding in 2023.
“The investment in the Generation Recovery Plan continues to yield consistent results, with load shedding suspended for 254 consecutive days since 26 March 2024,” Eskom said in a statement.
“This achievement reflects the ongoing success of comprehensive structural improvements within the coal-fired fleet, reinforcing Eskom’s commitment to providing a reliable energy supply, enabling economic growth, and promoting long-term sustainability,” the utility added.
Eskom said that as businesses start to shut down for the December holidays, it will be gradually increasing its maintenance activities to “further improve the reliability of its generation fleet”.
“Over the past week, the average total unplanned outages have been at 11,038MW, a significant improvement from the 14,475MW recorded during the same period last year, representing a reduction of 3,437MW.”
“Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) was at an average of 59.4% over the past week and 62.8% year-to-date, with top-performing stations including Majuba, Medupi, and peaking stations achieving an average EAF of 70% and above. Four other power stations recorded EAFs above 60%,” Eskom said.
Furthermore, the power utility said it expects an additional 2,600MW to return online by Monday evening.
“In August, Eskom shared its Summer Outlook for the period from September 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, predicting a likely scenario of a load-shedding-free summer due to structural generation improvements. This outlook remains unchanged”.
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