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Eskom Hits 70% Energy Availability Target, Loadshedding-Free Streak Reaches 154 Days

Eskom Hits 70% Energy Availability Target, Loadshedding-Free Streak Reaches 154 Days
2025-10-17

Eskom Achieves Generation Milestones as Loadshedding-Free Streak Continues

Eskom has reported significant improvements in its generation performance, including reaching its 70% Energy Availability Factor (EAF) target in September and maintaining a 154-day streak without loadshedding.

According to Eskom's latest update, the utility achieved a monthly EAF of 70.27% in September 2025, marking a crucial milestone in its Generation Recovery Plan. During August and September, daily EAF performance exceeded 70% on approximately 22 occasions.

Key Performance Indicators Show Improvement

From October 1-16, Eskom recorded an EAF of 62.76%, up from 60.56% during the same period last year. The utility attributes this improvement to reduced unplanned outages, with the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) decreasing to 23.66% compared to 26.6% in October 2024.

Between October 10-16, Eskom experienced an average of 12,294MW in unplanned outages, showing a significant improvement of 1,478MW compared to the 13,773MW recorded during the same week last year.

Planned maintenance has increased slightly to 13.24% of total capacity, up from 12.43% last year, reflecting Eskom's ongoing commitment to reliability-centered maintenance.

154 Days Without Loadshedding

South Africa has now gone 154 consecutive days without loadshedding. Since the beginning of the 2025/26 financial year on April 1, the country has experienced only 26 hours of loadshedding.

Eskom plans to return an additional 3,890MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, October 20, further strengthening grid stability in the coming week.

Reduced Reliance on Diesel Generation

Diesel expenditure for running Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) has remained below budget since April 1, with the year-to-date load factor decreasing to 6.27%. This indicates less reliance on expensive emergency generation.

For the week ending October 16, Eskom spent R83.6 million on diesel at a load factor of 2.32%, significantly lower than the R263 million spent at a 7.69% load factor during the same period last year.

However, total diesel expenditure since April 1 stands at R6.066 billion, with 1022.35GWh generated from OCGTs – slightly higher than the 943.51GWh generated during the same period last year.

Summer Outlook and Load Reduction Challenges

Eskom's Summer Outlook (covering September 2025 to March 2026) forecasts no loadshedding due to structural improvements in plant performance. However, the utility continues to implement load reduction in certain high-risk areas where infrastructure is compromised by illegal connections and theft.

The company has committed to eliminating load reduction within the next 12-18 months by addressing approximately 640,000 illegal connections, upgrading infrastructure, and expanding access to free basic electricity in priority areas.

Outlook: Cautious Optimism

The sustained improvement in generation performance represents significant progress in Eskom's recovery journey. However, the system remains vulnerable to unexpected breakdowns and seasonal demand changes.

While the achievement of 70% EAF in September is encouraging, the slight dip in October figures demonstrates that maintaining these levels consistently remains challenging. The increased planned maintenance indicates Eskom is prioritizing long-term reliability over short-term availability.

The upcoming summer months typically bring lower demand, which should help maintain the no-loadshedding streak if current performance levels are sustained. However, the true test will come during winter 2026 when demand traditionally rises.

Key Terms Explained

  • Energy Availability Factor (EAF): The percentage of Eskom's total generation capacity that is available to produce electricity. A 70% EAF means that 70% of Eskom's total installed capacity is available to generate power.
  • Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF): The percentage of generation capacity unavailable due to unexpected breakdowns or failures. Lower is better – it indicates fewer surprise outages.
  • Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF): The percentage of generation capacity temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. Higher PCLF often indicates more proactive maintenance.
  • Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs): Emergency power generators that run on diesel fuel. They're expensive to operate but can be started quickly during peak demand or emergencies.
  • Load Factor: The percentage of time that OCGTs are running at full capacity. A lower load factor means less reliance on these expensive backup generators.
  • Load Reduction: Targeted power cuts in specific areas where network overloading occurs, often due to illegal connections. Unlike loadshedding, it's implemented to protect infrastructure rather than balance supply and demand.
  • Generation Recovery Plan: Eskom's comprehensive strategy to improve power plant performance and reliability through technical interventions and operational improvements.
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