Eskom has reported a slight improvement in the country’s unplanned power outages, with the average outages for the past week at 14,376 megawatts. This represents a minor improvement compared to the same period last year.
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena explained that to meet the demand during these times, the utility relied on a higher Open-Cycle Gas Turbine load factor.
Notably, Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station has been performing well, with Unit 2 contributing over 930MW to the grid on certain days since its return from a long-term scheduled outage.
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This has resulted in an impressive Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of 99.95% since the unit’s restart.
Key Developments and Milestones for Eskom
Eskom also marked another significant milestone with the return of Unit 6 at the Kriel Power Station. The unit, offline since November 2024 due to an oil spill, added 475MW back into the grid today, further boosting the country’s electricity supply.
The utility’s unplanned outages are currently averaging 12,566MW, which is below the expected summer base case of 13,000MW.
This is a promising indicator as Eskom continues to meet growing energy demands. Since sharing its optimistic summer outlook in August, Eskom has maintained a strong energy supply, with no loadshedding expected for the summer period.
Eskom is also celebrating a remarkable achievement, reaching 296 consecutive days without loadshedding as of today. By midnight on January 20, it will have surpassed 300 days without loadshedding, a first since June 2018.
This achievement has contributed to R16.42 billion in diesel savings, a 62.9% reduction compared to the same period last year.
With unplanned outages decreasing and power stations returning to service, Eskom’s recovery plan continues to yield positive results, helping stabilize South Africa’s energy grid.
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