Eskom generation recovery continues to bear fruit, with the power utility’s Energy Availability Factor for the financial year-to-date reaching 68.1%, representing approximately 6424MW of additional available generation capacity as compared to three years ago.
The sustained recovery has resulted in less reliance on diesel-fired Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs), contributing to a R4.81 billion year-on-year reduction in diesel expenditure.
“Unplanned outages have improved by 6.89% year-on-year, representing approximately 3115MW of generation capacity returned to service compared with the corresponding period last year. Over the past three years, average unplanned outages have declined by 7064MW, from 16 172MW to 9 108MW.
“These improvements, driven by the Generation Recovery Plan, have contributed to South Africa recording 525 consecutive days without loadshedding since 16 May 2025,” Eskom said in a statement.
Furthermore, the power utility now has 4961MW of available generation capacity above current demand requirements.
“The sustained improvement in generation availability, declining unplanned outages, lower diesel expenditure and substantial reduction in load reduction demonstrate continued progress in strengthening Eskom’s operational performance.
“The focus is now on sustaining these gains and progressively shifting from recovery to reliability and sustainability, while supporting a reliable electricity supply for South Africa’s economic growth and industrialisation,” the statement read.
The electricity provider’s plans of eradicating load reduction also continue to bear fruit.
Some 1.5 million customers previously affected by load reduction have already been restored to normal electricity supply.
“The number of customers affected by load reduction has declined from approximately 1.69 million to 193 556, an 88.6% reduction. Seven provinces have been free from load reduction, with the remaining impact confined to selected areas in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
“Approximately 80% of customers previously affected in these two provinces have been restored to normal supply, while the remaining 193 556 affected customers represent approximately 2.7% of Eskom’s customer base,” the statement continued.
Targeted interventions, like the smart meter rollout, continue in the remaining communities as Eskom advances towards its March 2027 eradication target.
Some 524 375 smart meters have been installed on load reduction feeders, reaching approximately 91% of the 577 347 target for high-priority areas.
“Approximately 83% of these installations are concentrated in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, where pressure on the network is highest. The rollout remains focused on high-loss areas impacted by illegal connections, infrastructure overloading and electricity theft.
“Despite ongoing stakeholder engagement, including work with ward councillors, public meetings and media platforms, resistance in some areas continues to affect progress. These include safety incidents, intimidation and work stoppages, resulting in delays, with more than 122 000 planned installations impacted to date,” Eskom explained. – SAnews.gov.za
