KEY POINTS
- Unplanned outages have dropped to a nine year low, strengthening stability on South Africa’s power grid.
- Power plant availability is improving steadily, cutting diesel use and operating costs.
- South Africa has gone 224 days without loadshedding, with Eskom maintaining a positive outlook into early 2026.
South Africa’s electricity grid is showing its strongest performance in almost a decade, with Eskom reporting a sharp fall in unplanned outages and steady gains in plant availability. The state owned utility said the improvements are helping to stabilise supply and reduce costs at a time of lower seasonal demand.
Unplanned outages declined by 3,338 megawatts to 5,559 megawatts during the past week, a level last recorded in 2016, according to Eskom’s latest system update. The utility attributed the drop to the continued rollout of its Generation Recovery Plan and an extended period of planned maintenance aimed at restoring reliability across the fleet.
Plant availability records steady gains
Eskom said the Energy Availability Factor for December month to date stands at 67.55 percent, up from 57.06 percent during the same period last year. On a year to date basis, availability has improved to 64.04 percent, with generation meeting or exceeding the 70 percent mark on 42 separate days.
The utility described the trend as evidence of sustained recovery and growing confidence in the national power system, following years of severe strain and repeated supply interruptions.
Between December 19 and 25, average unplanned outages fell to 8,493 megawatts, down from 11,831 megawatts over the same period in 2024. The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor also improved to 17.72 percent from 25.16 percent a year earlier.
Planned maintenance has moderated after an intensive year long programme, with the Planned Capacity Loss Factor averaging 10.75 percent during the reporting period. This compares with 19.24 percent recorded at the same time last year. Eskom said maintenance work is continuing in line with schedules designed to support long term plant performance.
Improved generation has reduced reliance on diesel fired open cycle gas turbines. Eskom confirmed no diesel was used during the past week, resulting in zero fuel expenditure.
Year to date diesel spending remains below budget, while 12,325 megawatts of capacity is on cold reserve due to low holiday demand.
