KEY POINTS
- Eskom says South Africa has maintained a stable power system throughout winter, recording 406 consecutive days without nationwide load shedding.
- Energy availability has increased, unplanned outages have fallen significantly, and diesel spending has dropped by 84%, reflecting stronger power station performance.
- Nearly 964,500 households have been removed from load reduction as Eskom continues rolling out smart meters and tackling illegal electricity connections.
South Africa’s state-owned electricity utility, Eskom, says it has continued to maintain a stable and reliable power supply as electricity demand increases during the country’s winter season.
In its latest power system update released on Friday, the utility said improved electricity generation, lower levels of unplanned outages, and stronger operational performance have enabled it to consistently meet national electricity demand while maintaining sufficient reserve capacity.
The company said its ongoing operational recovery programme continues to deliver positive results, allowing the electricity network to remain stable even during periods of peak demand.
Energy availability improves as breakdowns decline
Eskom reported that its Energy Availability Factor (EAF)—a key measure of power station performance—rose to 63.81% between April 1 and June 25, 2026, compared with 58.31% during the same period last year.
The utility attributed the improvement to its Generation Recovery Plan, which has significantly reduced equipment failures and improved the reliability of its generating fleet.
Average unplanned outages between June 19 and June 25 stood at 11,259 megawatts (MW), representing a reduction of more than 3,500MW compared with the same period in 2025.
The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) also improved to 23.63%, down from 30.86% a year earlier, reflecting fewer unexpected breakdowns across Eskom’s power stations.
While planned maintenance increased slightly to ensure long-term reliability of generating units, Eskom maintained that the higher maintenance levels were necessary to sustain the improved performance of the electricity system.
The improved reliability of Eskom’s power stations has also resulted in a dramatic reduction in diesel consumption.
The utility disclosed that it spent R746.41 million on diesel between April and June 2026, compared with R4.72 billion during the corresponding period last year—an 84.19% reduction.
According to Eskom, diesel-powered open-cycle gas turbines were only used during periods of peak electricity demand and to maintain reserve capacity in accordance with South Africa’s Grid Code.
Electricity generated from diesel-fired plants also fell by more than 87% year-on-year, while the load factor of these emergency generators dropped from 11.45% to 1.45%.
The company described the reduction as evidence that its power stations are performing more efficiently, reducing dependence on expensive emergency generation.
