Eskom Reports Sustained Generation Improvements and Reduced Diesel Usage

November 5, 2025

Eskom has released its latest operational update, highlighting continued improvements in power generation performance and a significant reduction in diesel usage, amid concerns about misinformation regarding the utility's system performance.

Key Performance Improvements

According to Eskom's latest Power Alert (31 October 2025), the utility has achieved notable gains in several critical areas:

• The Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has reached or exceeded 70% on 32 occasions since August 2025
• September 2025 recorded an average EAF of 70.27%
• Year-to-date EAF stands at 63.19%, a 7.16% improvement from 56.03% in FY2023
• Breakdowns (Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor) have decreased by 6.76%, from approximately 15GW to 11.8GW

The reduction in breakdowns represents roughly three stages of loadshedding capacity or almost the equivalent of Lethabo Power Station's output – a significant improvement in stability for the national grid.

Diesel Usage Declining

One of the most notable achievements has been the substantial decrease in diesel consumption for emergency generation:

• The year-to-date Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) load factor stands at 5.84%, indicating these units are being used selectively as intended
• Diesel usage has steadily decreased since April 2025, which had recorded the highest OCGT usage for this financial year
• Eskom spent approximately R16 billion less on diesel in FY2025 compared to FY2024
• October 2025 recorded an OCGT load factor of just 0.75%, down from 16.02% in April 2025

As of October 31, 2025, Eskom has placed 13 generating units on cold reserve, indicating restored generation capacity and improved system resilience.

Loadshedding Performance

The operational improvements have translated into tangible results for South African consumers:

• FY2025 recorded 352 days without loadshedding (96% of the time), including a loadshedding-free winter
• FY2026 to date has achieved 213 days without loadshedding (98% of the time)
• Only 26 hours of power interruptions were recorded between April and May 2025

This represents a dramatic improvement from FY2024, when electricity demand was met only 9% of the time, with 329 days of loadshedding.

Maintenance Strategy Bearing Fruit

Eskom acknowledged that while it did not meet its 70% EAF target by March 31, 2025, this was due to a deliberate increase in planned maintenance across its generation fleet. The utility maintains that this strategy has been crucial for improving long-term reliability and ensuring regulatory compliance.

The Generation Recovery Plan, which has been underway since March 2023, continues to show positive results in stabilizing the power system.

Outlook

Based on the data provided, Eskom appears to be maintaining a stable trajectory in power generation performance. The consistent improvement in EAF, reduced breakdowns, and significantly lower diesel usage indicate that the system is more resilient than in previous years.

With 13 generating units on cold reserve, there appears to be sufficient capacity to manage current demand levels. However, the coming summer months typically bring different challenges, including potential weather-related disruptions.

The utility has indicated it's now focusing on addressing localized supply challenges through its load reduction programme rather than implementing national loadshedding – suggesting confidence in the overall system stability.

Key Terms Explained

• Energy Availability Factor (EAF): The percentage of maximum energy generation that a plant is capable of supplying to the electrical grid. A 70% EAF means that, on average, 70% of Eskom's total generation capacity is available to produce electricity.
• Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF): The percentage of generation capacity unavailable due to unexpected breakdowns. A UCLF of 25% means approximately a quarter of Eskom's generation capacity is offline due to unplanned issues.
• Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs): Fast-starting power generators that burn diesel to produce electricity during peak demand or emergencies. They are expensive to run but can be activated quickly when needed.
• Load Factor: A measure of how intensively power generating units are used relative to their maximum capacity. A 5.84% OCGT load factor means these units are running at about 6% of their potential output.
• Cold Reserve: Generation units that are operational but temporarily taken offline while remaining available to be restarted if needed. Having units on cold reserve indicates surplus generation capacity.
• Gigawatt (GW): A unit of power equal to one billion watts. For context, 1GW can power approximately 650,000 to 700,000 South African homes.