KEY POINTS
- Eskom says the national power system is stable ahead of rising post holiday electricity demand.
- Energy availability has climbed to 64.5 percent, with repeated periods above the 70 percent mark.
- Adverse weather and fires have increased distribution faults in some regions.
Eskom says South Africa’s electricity system remains stable and capable of meeting higher demand expected in the coming weeks as businesses and industries resume operations after the festive period.
The power utility said improvements across its generation fleet and progress under its Generation Recovery Plan have strengthened system resilience.
According to Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokoena, the energy availability factor has risen to 64.5 percent, reflecting ongoing operational gains.
Mokoena said Eskom has reached or surpassed the 70 percent availability level on 55 separate occasions, a milestone she described as confirmation of sustained recovery within the fleet.
Reduced outages drive operational gains
Mokoena said the gains were largely driven by a decline in unplanned outages, pointing to more disciplined maintenance practices and better execution across power stations.
She said planned maintenance remains aligned with Eskom’s schedule and continues to support long term improvements in plant reliability and operational stability.
The higher availability has also reduced Eskom’s reliance on costly diesel powered generation, allowing the utility to focus more on primary energy sources that are less expensive to run.
Eskom said 7,305 megawatts of capacity is currently held in cold reserve due to lower demand and excess capacity during the holiday season.
