KEY POINTS
- Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor has risen to over 66% this month, an 8% year on year improvement.
- Unplanned outages have dropped significantly, reducing costly reliance on diesel generators.
- The utility plans to add over 4,600MW of capacity to meet expected evening peak demand.
South Africa’s national electricity supplier, Eskom, says its power generation system has stabilized and is better prepared to handle holiday demand. The utility points to sustained maintenance and its Generation Recovery Plan for the improved performance.
A key measure of plant performance, the Energy Availability Factor (EAF), has reached 66.12% so far in December. That figure is more than eight percentage points higher than the same time last year. Spokesperson Robert Wessels linked the gain to focused maintenance work.
“We’ve consistently exceeded our benchmarks,” Wessels said. The increase in reliable generation has reduced the need to use expensive diesel powered open cycle gas turbines. Eskom spent just 40.8 million rand on diesel last week, far less than in previous years.
System Faces Demand and Ongoing Challenges
The improved reliability comes as South Africans prepare for a period of traditionally high electricity use. Eskom stated it will activate an additional 4,670MW of generation capacity to meet the expected evening peak demand on December 22.
The utility also highlighted a substantial reduction in unplanned outages, which are down by 1,264MW compared to last year. Load shedding has been minimal, totaling only 26 hours since the start of the financial year.
Despite the progress, Eskom acknowledged persistent challenges. Illegal connections and meter tampering continue to threaten infrastructure integrity and revenue collection. In response, the company is rolling out a phased program aimed at eliminating load reduction by 2027, targeting millions of customers across several provinces.
The plan includes installing smart meters and working with communities. Eskom officials are calling for public cooperation to report illegal activities that compromise the electricity network. The utility maintains that its focus is on ensuring a safe, stable, and affordable power supply.
