Sustained improvements in Eskom’s plant performance, reliability and operational discipline continue to fuel South Africa’s power system stability even as seasonal temperatures decline and electricity demand rises.
This according to the power utility which recorded more than 376 days without the implementation of load shedding.
“System performance remains strong, with the financial year-to-date Energy Availability Factor [EAF] improving to 62.59%, up from 57.43% over the same period last year, a 5.17% increase.
“This reflects sustained progress under Eskom’s turnaround strategy and marks a 9.97% [5.02GW] improvement compared to the corresponding period three years ago at the outset of the Generation Recovery Plan, supported by a continued reduction in unplanned outages,” Eskom said in a statement.
Diesel expenditure – used to fuel the power utility’s Open Cycle Gas Turbines – has also fallen dramatically over the past financial year.
“Diesel expenditure stands at R559.17 million at a load factor of 1.48%, significantly lower than the R3.426 billion incurred over the same period last year, at a load factor of 12.42% - an 83.68% year-on-year reduction. The reported diesel expenditure has been updated following reconciliation to ensure alignment with verified financial records and actual usage.
“Diesel in the past week was strategically deployed at peak demand times to meet the higher-than-expected demand, as well as provide the required reserves in line with the South African Grid Code.
“This continued reduction demonstrates both the cost savings and the operational improvements achieved through Eskom’s ongoing turnaround efforts. Overall, this positive trend highlights the growing stability and efficiency of the power system,” the statement explained.
Furthermore, the power utility expects to bring some 1 010MW of generation capacity online ahead of tonight’s evening peak.
Ending load reduction
The power utility’s efforts to end load reduction continue to bear fruit, with some 651 828 customers across South Africa no longer impacted.
Load reduction is implemented as a temporary measure in high-risk areas to protect both communities and the electricity network where illegal connections and meter tampering persist.
“Eskom has launched a phased programme to eliminate load reduction by 2027. The programme targets 971 feeders and will benefit approximately 1.69 million customers across all provinces, out of Eskom’s total customer base of 7.2 million.
“Key interventions include the rollout of smart meters, the integration of Distributed Energy Resources, and the expansion of Free Basic Electricity support. These measures will be accompanied by targeted customer education initiatives,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za
