Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Eskom says the current improvement in unplanned outages at generating units is a sign of the generation fleet’s increasing reliability. The power utility has registered an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) month-to-date average hitting above 70% for the first time since 2021.
“Between 19 and 25 September 2025, Eskom recorded an average of 9 514MW in unplanned outages, a significant improvement compared to 12 660MW during the same period last year. This represents a year-on-year reduction of 3 146MW in breakdowns – nearly equivalent to the entire output capacity of Duvha Power Station.
“This upward trend demonstrates increasing stability and improved reliability across Eskom’s generation fleet. These figures do not include Kusile Unit 6, which has been contributing to the national grid since 23 March 2025. While the unit is not yet in commercial operation, it is expected to reach this milestone by 30 September 2025,” Eskom said. The power utility’s improvements have resulted in electricity demand being met for at 97% of the time during the current financial year with only 26 hours of load shedding recorded since April 1.
Other key performance areas at Eskom include:
•Between 1 April and 25 September 2025, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which reflects the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, further decreased to 25.84%. This represents a week-on-week improvement of approximately 0.2%, although it remains about 0.3% higher than the 25.52% recorded during the same period last year.
•Year-to-date, planned maintenance has averaged 5 233MW, accounting for 11.16% of total generation capacity. This reflects a slight decrease from the previous week and a 0.4% rise compared to the same period last year.
•The year-to-date EAF further increased to 62.50%, excluding the contribution from Kusile Unit 6. This figure is below the 63.25% recorded during the same period last year.
•From 1 April to 25 September 2025, Eskom generated 1 004.68GWh from OCGT plants while spending R5.953 billion on diesel – above last year’s 850.52GWh. Last week, diesel spending was just R15.03 million at a load factor of 0.41%, highlighting the impact of improvements in efficiency and reduced reliance on diesel.
•The year-to-date load factor for OCGTs has decreased to 6.89%, reflecting a 0.27% decrease compared to the previous week. This figure remains higher than the 5.83% recorded during the same period last year.
“To further strengthen grid stability, Eskom is planning to return a total of 2 500MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak today and throughout the coming week,” Eskom said.
The electricity supplier acknowledged that although the grid is now more stable, load reduction remains “necessary in certain high-risk areas.” Average reductions have ranged between 529MW and 5 44MW from April and June this year.
“The primary causes are illegal connections and meter tampering – forms of electricity theft that compromise the integrity of the network and can lead to equipment damage, transformer overloads, and, in severe cases, explosions and prolonged outages. To safeguard the network and protect public safety, Eskom may implement load reduction by switching off power in these areas during peak periods.
“Eskom, however, is committed to eliminating load reduction within the next 12 to 18 months. This goal will be achieved by addressing 640 000 illegal connections, upgrading infrastructure – including the installation of smart meters curbing illegal electricity vending, and expanding access to free basic electricity in priority areas.
“Customers are urged to avoid illegal connections, purchase electricity only from Eskom-accredited vendors, and regularise their accounts. These measures are essential to preventing load reduction and ensuring safe, reliable, and equitable electricity access for all,” Eskom explained.
